The Odd Visitor
by OtterFrog
Summary: What would happen if a certain Who suddenly found himself off his 'speck' called Whoville and in our world?
1. Chapter 1

The Odd Visitor

--Little Explanation Here-

*******You'll notice I did a little reference to Doctor Who here. I had my character, Breck Haines, meet up with him in a yet-to-be-finished adventure (Dang muse went on a loooong holiday! Didn't even send me any postcards neither.) so she's not exactly a newcomer to any approaching aliens. This isn't a cross-over, just some other experience Breck has had in another time.*******

Ok….

Um…..

Well, let's start off by explaining I don't really know HOW to start this darn thing off! I'm a rancher, for pete's sake, not a novelist!!!

I know, I know. Start at the beginning, right? With an introduction.

So ok.

Hello, my name is Breck Haines and I'm just a simple rancher trying to make it on my own out here in the Oklahoma foothills. I didn't want anything other than that but you know how it goes. You lay plans as best you can then something comes along that throws them first in the heap, then in the sewage and then finally in the trash!!!

Like this mess. I'm no stranger to strange adventures, I admit. Not after traveling with the Doctor for a year or so. But when I got back home I just wanted things to get back to the same ol' routine as before, back to good ol' normality with nothing stranger than mebbe a two-headed calf born once in a while or something along those lines.

Yep, that was my plan all right. But then this happened, this….ah..event? I don't think it could described as an adventure, although it probably was one for Jojo.

Who's Jojo now, you ask? Never mind, I'll get to him in a bit.

Now I don't even know why I'm writing this. Probably just to get it all straightened out in my mind and remind myself that yep, it happened. You haven't quite gone nuts just yet. One of these days you will, just not now. This is just a symptom.

But if any of you owlhoots think you're going to use this stuff against me in some way, forget it. I'll deny it. This is a work of F.I.C.T.I.O.N!!! Get it? I'll just say it never happened, how could it happen and you guys will be the ones who look the fool.

I'm not quite sure yet if it did happen myself. Could be the result of a really off batch of apple cider. Or a bad stew. Not that I make bad stew! But you can never tell with covered dishes at some community get-togethers. I've had me some chili once that….

No. No, I'm getting off the subject here. Let's stay focused.

One major event at a time!

Ok, like I said before, I'm a rancher, female, in my fifties (yeah, I'm old. Sue me.) and just gaining that bit of a bulge around the middle that no matter what I do, just seems to lie there unchanged. I don't smoke, or go off on drinking binges. The only medication I take is Advil now and again. There is no insanity to be found anywhere in my family. So I'm not off my head with this, is this clear?

Like I said, I've seen some strange things traveling around with the Doctor but hey, you saunter about the galaxies and you expect to see some strange stuff! Aliens, weird planets, foods that you're not sure whether to eat, wear or hold a political conversation with. That's the norm. That's what you'll see. You know that and you're not caught off guard that everything else in the cosmos doesn't resemble your home town in any ways.

But you DON'T expect weird things on your own homestead! On YOUR property! In YOUR chicken house!

I was just getting ready for bed that night, every critter that I had on my ranch had been fed, watered, bedded down, talked to, patted and medicated if need be. So I figured it was my turn to relax. I had just gotten out of a nice hot bath, gotten on my pajamas and was just pulling the covers back when I heard the chickens just a-squawking and carrying on like it was Doomsday! They don't do that unless something was seriously wrong or something was breaking in so I threw on my bathrobe, boots, grabbed my shotgun and hared on out there.

Oh yeah, grabbed my flashlight too off the back porch. It gets dark out there after sunset.

I have no street lights in my corner of the hills. Pitch black. Yeah, I like it that way. Of course the dogs had to join in the ruckus as well. Grits, my Catahoula Leopard Dog which was as good as hunter as he was a cattle dog, Rebel, the combination of just about every hound within 20 miles, and Skeeter, my little terrier which was sheer murder on any rat, woodchuck or possum that dared to show its face on his turf had to add their voices to the din and jumped up and around me in an effort to get me to join in the fun. I hollered the usual bad names at them and they laughed themselves off to harass whatever critter they could get a trail on, now that they were all wide awake and such.

I flung open the chicken house door and shone the light about. The hens were all cackling their fool heads off and flapping and running around like…well…like chickens with their heads cut off. I couldn't make out what the heck had started them off so I shoved them aside and out into the pen with the barrel of my shotgun. Most likely it was just a blasted weasel. If I could get a clear shot that would be the end of it, peace would return and I could get back to bed, with just a few feathers stuck to my robe.

I've had trouble with coons and foxes before with my chickens and I had built a nice sturdy pen for them. But those weasels are so small and skinny they could squeeze through just about any lil hole they could discover. I kicked the last fat hen out then scanned the area, rubbing and blowing the darn feathers and dust out of my eyes and nose.

Ever been in a stirred up chicken house? It's a mess, no matter how much you try to keep it clean! Feathers, down, dust and of course, dried chicken manure. It makes a pretty dense noxious cloud when chickens had been flapping and clawing and all. As soon as I kicked out the last hen I started coughing and needing a drink to wash it all out of my throat. Ugh. The light barely made any headway through the gloom. Just looked like a lighted up dust cloud.

So at first I couldn't see anything, but then I heard a very small 'achoo!' in the far corner. I swung my light and gun around, looking for my target. The dust was settling just a bit. Ah ha! So there it was! Huddled up and shivering, a small pile of black and grey striped fur.

Wait a minute. Black….and…..grey….that combination doesn't set well in the mind of a country person. Usually the danger sign is black and white but like I said, hen houses get dirty!

Dang. It's a blasted skunk! Man, if I shot that thing now, ain't no way I'd get the smell out from neither the house or me! Probably would make the eggs taste funny for the next four months too!

Cripes, why do I have this luck?

I slowly back away a bit and tried to calm it down. "Hey now, hey now. Easy now. I ain't gonna hurt you, nobody's gonna hurt you. Just….get on your way there. Easy now."

Um…the only way out was by me. Smart. Why didn't I put in two doors in the chicken house for an emergency exit?

Because I don't plan chicken houses for skunks, that's why. File that for future use in hen house design.

So now I slowly and carefully go the other way, leaving a clear path for the skunk to leave in. "Go on," I tried to urge it along. "Git! Get back to the woods! You don't belong here! Scat!" I waved the light at it for good measure. "C'mon, I'm givin' you a break here! I could blast your flippin' head off but I'm not! Just get outta here! Now!"

Then it lifted its head to look up at me. I stared at it. What th…? It didn't have the sharp muzzle and nose of a skunk, in fact its muzzle was shorter and rounder. The nose, set almost right between the eyes, was rather small. And the eyes were large, round and full of fright. Well, what I could see of them anyway. It had a thick thatch of black hair on its head with strands hanging down in front of its face. It stared back, then tucked its head back in its folded arms and I could hear muffled sounds sort of like sobs.

Uh…skunks or any other critter I know of, don't cry. Well, they can, I suppose, but not like a person would. This…thing was crying like that, like a person. Like a scared lost kid, in fact.

But a kid in grey and black striped fur? What kind of footsie pjs is that? In the middle of the night and in a hen house to boot. Nope, didn't add up. Only thing I could think of that did was…dang. An alien.

Oh Doctor? I have a pick-up for you. Please get back to me as soon as you can.

I squatted down, keeping my light on it and trying to think what this thing was. I had seen some aliens in my time but not one exactly like this. And anyway, what the hell was an alien doing in my hen house scaring the coop out of my chickens??

Perhaps I can talk to it, find out what it wants, send it on its way, then get back to the house and a nice peaceful night's sleep. I set my shotgun down so to show it I didn't mean it any harm, then moved the light to one side. Why blind the poor thing?

" Ah….hello….you seem to be in…some sort of..trouble? Can I help you with anything?"

Its head came up again and once more we stared at each other. And stared. I'm no good judge of time but it could have been around 3 minutes or so. This wasn't getting anything done so I tried a smile. "Hey, it's ok. I'm not going to hurt you. My name's Breck. What's yours?"

It took a few moments for it to decide to reply, but I couldn't quite catch the murmured answer. I leaned forward. "I'm sorry, your name is..?"

This time it was louder. Barely. "Jojo."

"Jojo". I straightened up and smiled at him. At least I thought it as 'him'. 'Jojo' is more of a name for a boy. Right? "I'm pleased to meet you, Jojo." Nice and polite, while squatting in a cloud of chicken poo.

No answer. He just kept staring at me from his huddled position. I could see his shoulders were still shaking a bit from his low sobs. Dark tracks ran from his eyes down the sides of his face from his tears. I could feel sympathy welling up inside me. Oh, the poor little thing. Sort of made me long to go over, gather him up and hug him. But at this point I thought that would really scare the heck out of him. How would you like it if some large alien came over, snatched you up and held you close? You wouldn't, right? So, talk, just talk.

"Ah….so..where're you from, Jojo? How did you get here? And why are you in my chicken house?" I asked him. Reasonable questions, I thought.

No answer at first, then I saw his lick his lips, swallow and was about to talk again when one of those blasted hens decided to see just what was keeping her from her own deservedly night's rest and squeezed in. Jojo's eyes got even wider and he scrunched his body up in an even smaller ball. "No! Please!"

"You get your fat feathered fanny outta here!" I shoved the hen back into the pen and this time flipped the catch. There. No more paltry poultry interruptions. Poor Jojo must have been pecked a few times by the silly biddies. I could see it would hurt and scare the living daylights out of him but then, he did scare them too. Tit for tat.

I tried to calm him down again. "Hey, it's ok. It's ok. She's gone. She's not going to hurt you. It's all right." He didn't respond so I tried a small joke. "Hey, if she really hurt you bad, I can make sure she's on the dinner menu tomorrow!"

No answer or response of any kind. Oh well, not only am I not a novelist, but I'm also not a stand up comic. I'm a rancher, remember? Plain simple country girl.

A plain, simple country girl squatting in her hen house at night talking to some alien critter. Or trying anyway.

My legs were falling asleep. I'm getting too old to hunker down like this!!!

"Look, Jojo. My house ain't exactly the Ritz or even Area 51 but it's a danged sight more comfortable than this coop. And cleaner too," I added when Jojo jerked his head in another sneeze. "How about we go over there, get cleaned up, have some coffee or whatever, and let these darned chickens have their roost back? Then we can get you back to…whever you're supposed to be."

He slowly looked over at me again and I realized just how small he was. Even curled up like that I could see he wouldn't be any taller than a three-year-old toddler. Not that it wasn't bad, smaller aliens are a bit easier to deal with that the big hulking things. Even though some smaller aliens can be quite nasty in their own right. Still, Jojo didn't look like he could be threatening. An alien scared of chickens can't be much of an invasion force.

("General! The aliens are forming an attack fleet!" "Quick, Captain! Ready the chicken missiles! That'll fix 'em!)

He started to rise up but as soon I got to my feet he flattened himself back against the wooden boards. Cripes, too much too fast, I thought. Looming over him like that. I squatted down again, gritting my teeth. I hate that pins-and-needles feeling!!!

"Hey, it's ok. I told ya I'm not going to hurt you. Take it easy, Jojo. And take pity on me! I'm getting stiff sittin' like this!"

He swallowed again, and then uttered a third sneeze. I felt one tickling my nose as well. "Yeah, let's get outta here before we both suffocate. Bleh!" I rose to my feet again slowly so this time it didn't startle him and went out first after retrieving my shotgun, then backed off to wait for Jojo to make his appearance. I thought it best to think of a wild colt at this point. Not too close and not too far. When he was far enough away that I wouldn't scare him again, I went back inside to open the side pen hatch so the hens could get back to what they were doing. Which was, of course, sleeping.

Jojo stood there, watching, silent. I noted that my evaluation of his height was pretty accurate; he wasn't even three feet tall. No wonder the hens could get the best of him. I couldn't see him winning a fight with a sparrow.

I led the way with my flashlight, warning him of the rocks that we passed and the pitfalls to avoid. I try to keep the lawn around my house neat and cut but in this country you have these huge tracks of granite poking up here and there like some sort of dinosaur backbone. Too much bother to dig them up so one just tolerates them. And then there's those danged armadillos! The nature books say they 'dig for insects' but anybody who has ever had one in their yard will tell you, they don't 'dig', they excavate!!! You could almost fill one of their holes with water and stock it with catfish, they dig so much! So I didn't want Jojo to fall foul of one of those pits. He'd disappear and I'd be spending the rest of my days wondering whatever happened to that li'l alien I met one night.

I got better things to do with my time.

And wouldn't you know it, at this point the danged dogs showed up! Oh blast it! They looked on any small furry critter in the yard other than livestock as their rightful prey and here I was escorting a small furry alien across the yard! I could just see myself trying to explain the murder of their citizen by my mutts to some alien courtroom. Had to think fast. I caught sight of the quarter of venison I had hung up to age by the back porch door, lunged for it and threw it at the approaching pack. "Here! Here! Take this, you mangy hyenas!!!" That made them decide on a change of menu then and there. Rebel grabbed the haunch and took off, the other two giving chase and demanding their fair share in full voice.

Whew! Well, I can always get another deer. I turned to see where Jojo had gone and spied him cowering by the back porch. First chickens and now this. He's going to need some serious therapy when he gets back to whatever world he was from. "It's ok, they're gone." I tried to reassure him. "That'll keep 'em busy for the rest of the night."

So anyway, I got up on the back porch and turned on the back light. Jojo walked up from his hiding place and I saw he was having a bit of trouble on the wooden steps but I wasn't sure if he wanted help or not. When in doubt, don't. But hmm, his short legs did have a time and he ended up pulling himself up by the banister. His arms were quite long, probably to compensate for the shorter limbs? I have no clue.

I could see him better in the light. Along with his long arms, his body was also on the long side, shaped sort of like a skinny pear, more weight on the bottom. He had almost no shoulders to speak of and…no sign of external ears. But he did hear when I spoke to him (if the darn chicken squawking didn't make him deaf by now) so I gathered his ears could be like the chickens'. They have no external signs of them either, just the lil feathered flaps on each side of their heads. Guess he had furry flaps under his hair.

I held open the door but before he went inside he stood there a moment and gave himself a vigorous shake. Dust and chicken feathers floated away in a cloud and his fur stood out for a second or two before it settled back down. Handy way to clean and I was rather glad he did that. It reminded me I should at least try to get a bit cleaner myself. Leave the blasted feathers and stuff outside! I brushed myself off, shook my bathrobe a bit, scrapped my boots then we both went in.

Jojo stood there looking at me as if he wasn't quite sure what to do or what was going to happen next. Oh well, I thought to myself. Whatever he is, he's a guest. Treat him like one. I waved him to the kitchen table and chairs. "Have a seat. I'll whip something up to drink or even to eat if you're hungry." He didn't answer but chose the closest seat to clamber up on. Then he just sat there, silent, staring at the floor. Heh, even his feet and hands were furred! For an alien, he was downright cute! Mebbe I could breed them and sell them as pets…..

I'm kidding, don't worry! I think there's some law around somewhere prohibiting selling sentient beings in pet shops. Beside I had no idea if housebreaking them would be a major issue.

"What sort of drink would you like? I have coffee, tea, somewhere I got hot cocoa mix." I rather hoped he wouldn't choose the cocoa. I still wasn't sure where I had put the stuff and whether or not the mice hadn't found their way in it.

His voice was so low and soft I could hardly make it out. "Some..water…please?"

"Certainly," I told him cheerfully. Yeah,good idea. Darn chicken dust needed to be washed down. "Like some ice with it?"

"Just…water. Thank you."

I got him a glassful and slowly took it to the table. Slow and easy. I decided that I was going to make myself a small cup of coffee. My own nerves needed a bit of soothing. Clucking hens in one's ears does that to a person. While I was filling the teapot up my eyes fell on the cookie jar and my mind went back to the child-like sound of sobbing he was doing before and thought perhaps this –is- just a child. And what child passes up a chance for…cookies?

I put a few on a plate, set the teapot on the stove and returned, slowly!, to the table. "Hungry?" I asked as I set the plate down in front of him. I took the seat at the other end and before I was totally settled he had taken a cookie and had given it a sizeable bite. I smiled to myself.

"So, Jojo. Where are you from?"

His reply was mumbled through a mouthful of cookie. I waited until he swallowed, his voice was low enough as it was. "Wh..Whoville." He took another cookie from the plate and bit into it.

Whoville. That was a new one on me. "Ok, and where's that at?" I asked him.

He started to speak, then stopped in mid-breath. His face took on a confused look, as if he had no idea how to answer the question. Then his eyes filled up with tears and he looked away.

"Hey, it's ok. No rush. No problem," I tried to soothe him. He looked back at me with the most lost expression I had ever seen. Even the cutest basset hound puppy had nothing on those eyes.

"I….I don't know….." he said, his lower lip starting to tremble. "I just…don't..know! I..I was there and…then suddenly…I was……was…."

Oh no, he's going to start crying again. "Hey, it's ok, it's ok," I told him. "Look, it's late and sometimes it's hard to think straight when you're tired. What say we just get some sleep and tackle this problem in the morning? We'll figure it out, don't worry. Ok?"

He looked at me, looked down and sighed. He nibbled at the cookie again. At least the tears had remained unfallen. "Yeah. S..sure."

"Good! Let's see….." I went into the living room and was alerted by the teapot squealing on the stove. Too late for coffee now so I had to go back, turn the darn thing off, then go back to the living room.

I didn't have much by way of fancy furniture but what I did have was pretty darn comfortable. But I only had one bedroom. I took a blanket and the largest fluffiest pillow I could find and was about to place them on the couch when I remembered Jojo wasn't all that big. The lazy-boy rocker might be more comfy for him. I leaned it in the back position, fluffed up the pillow on it and shook out the blanket. "This work for you?" I asked him as he was standing in the doorway watching. He nodded, then his hand went up to gingerly rub his head. Drat, I had forgotten about the chicken attack!

"Are you hurt? They peck you?" I asked gently. He had winced at one point and nodded. "Here, let me see." I knelt down and he came over with less hesitation now. I ran my fingers through his hair (Yep, I was right, no ears but small flaps where they should be. Purely logical. But the females of this race, whatever it is, can't wear any earrings! The poor girls!) He flinched at some places but as far as I could tell there wasn't any blood, just a bit of bruising. Hard-headed perhaps. At least they missed the eyes! "Well, no serious damage that I can see," I concluded. "Anywhere else?" he shook his head.

"That's good, here, let me give you a hand." I held out my hands to him and after a moment's hesitation he allowed me to pick him up and set him on the chair. He weighed only about twice my largest hen and his fur, while long and rather shaggy-looking, was quite soft and thick. I tucked the blanket in around him as he got settled in. "There ya go. Comfy?"

"Yes."

If he keeps up speaking that soft I'm going to have to get me a hearing aid.

"That's good. Now, if you need anything, you let me know, ok? I'm just at the other side of the hallway here. Anything at all. Good night."

Jojo mumbled a 'g'night' and then added "Uh…Breck?"

I paused and looked back at him from my bedroom doorway. "Hm?"

"Th..thanks."

Heh, cute and polite. Why weren't there more aliens like that out there?


	2. Chapter 2

The Odd Visitor

Chapter Two

Morning creeped in, as usual. I would just love to be able to sleep in one day, just one time. Let me look up at the window, stick my tongue out at the dawn and pull the covers back over me. Let everybody else wake up. Let the day start without me.

But not when your livihood is a ranch. Livestock don't get checked by themselves, hay doesn't throw itself into the feeders for the horses, chickens can't open the latch to get out into the yard. Chickens. That thought grabbed my sleep-muddled brain and tried to pry it open. Chickens. Something about chickens. Squawking. Last night. A weasel…no, it was a skunk. No, it was……my eyes popped open. Yep, I'm awake now. I have an alien sleeping in my living room!

I tossed the covers back and stretched, trying to keep my joints from popping all at once. A couple of years ago I had a small mutt that was more of a house dog than anything and every time I stretched with a crack or pop it would make her fly into a barking frenzy. I guess Cissy must have been hit with a stick or something. But she's gone to that big dog house in the sky and I hoped any angels up there didn't have any joint popping in their wings in the morning.

In the meantime I had other things to deal with. I opened my door a crack to sneak a peek in the living room and saw a small dark head on the pillow. He's still asleep then. I tiptoed across the hallway to the bathroom, then quietly back again. After getting dressed in my usual jeans, and short-sleeved shirt I tied my hair back in a short ponytail. Darn dirty-blonde mess. As always I wished I had lovely thick chestnut hair like my brother. Why did –he- have to get that? I'M the one who looks like Mom! Those hair genes should have gone to ME!

Brothers can be such creeps.

I was pondering this whole unfairness so much that I completely forgot about my guest and was prepared to go about the daily routine. On with the socks, pulled up my boots, and walked quickly across the floor to the kitchen.

Boot heels make such a nice and loud rhythmic sound on wooden floors. I was almost into the kitchen when I saw a small movement in the chair and then I remembered. Dang it.

Jojo uttered a soft sigh and sat up, rubbing his face with one hand while holding the other out in a long stretch. He arched his back and was in the middle of a yawn when a look of utter confusion crossed his face. He stared out in the room, frozen to the spot.

Probably forgot what happened, I thought. "Good morning." I greeted him. "Sleep well?"

He whirled his head to me and stared, then the bewildered look was replaced by recognition as his sleepy brain caught up with the rest of him.

Huh, he wakes up just like I do. Befuddled. Only I didn't hear any joints cracking when –he- stretched!

"Uh..hi."

"Sorry to wake you so early. It's just habit with me to get out to the ranch work as soon as I wake up and I forgot you were in here. I should've waited until I was outside before I put these boots on!"

"S'ok." His voice still hadn't gotten any louder. "I'm used to getting up early too." He rubbed the hair on his head and yawned. Now he looked like one of those lamb wool dusters they sell at the hardware store. All floofy! He shook his head and it all settled back into place.

I was instantly jealous. I want –my- hair to be able to do that! "The bathroom's back there on the left." I pointed. "I'm going to get some feeding done then I'll be back in to fix us some breakfast. Ok?"

"Sure. Um….how long?"

Confusing question. "How long? What, how long I'll be?"

"No. How long do I have for in the bathroom?"

Having never timed a bathroom run in my life, I wasn't quite sure what he was getting at. I shrugged. "Take as long as you like. Take a long soak in the tub if you want. The dogs and cattle ain't going to be wanting a turn."

"Soak, in the tub?" He said it so wistfully while staring in the direction of the bathroom that it sounded almost like he considered it a rare luxury.

I was picking up my hat from the rack so I used it to wave back in the room. "Sure. I got plenty of clean towels there, soap, shampoo. Whatever you need. I'll be back in a bit."

I was greeted by those meat-headed mongrels and their usual morning serenade of barks, yowls and yaps as soon as I stepped off the porch. "Get away, you clowns! I shouldn't have to feed you today after you got that deer leg. That was supposed to go in my freezer! You owe me!"

Grits, Rebel and Skeeter insisted that it didn't count at all and that they should still get their full morning ration along with all the other hungry mouths waiting on me. I did reduce the amount of chow by at least a third, put down the three bowls (more like buckets) and went over to let the chickens out. They didn't look the worse for wear last night and were demanding their ration as well. So were the calves in the pen, the two horses, the Jersey and the mule. All at once. Couldn't I see they were starving? I'd better feed them before they got the ASPCA on me!

"That's all you guys view me as," I grumbled to Stonewall, the mule. "I'm nothing more than a walking feed bucket to y'all! I could fall down right now with a heart attack and all you'll do is check my pockets for treats!"

Blossom, the Jersey, lowed gently as if to inform me she'd be concerned about my well-being. After all, who'll milk her and scratch her between the horns if not me? I was almost moved by her devotion until she turned to walk back to the shed for the milking and slapped me in the face with her tail.

This was deemed as hilarious by the two Quarter Horses, Taw and Crow. But then again they'd view a spouting volcano as prime amusement and excuse for bucking. They crow-hopped down the pasture to their favorite shady tree as I threw a mud clod at them for good measure.

"Brainless. Sheer brainless." Stonewall agreed with me in his quiet manner. He usually did. He was pretty smart, for a mule. Almost human, in fact.

I milked Blossom after the feeding and gathered up the eggs. When I dragged my haul into the kitchen I could hear faint sounds of splashing from the bathroom. Hmm, almost an hour and a half and he's still in there. I wondered if he'd leave a fur ring around the tub. Do aliens shed much? Oh well, I wasn't too worried. I've had several friends come over for dinner many a time and if my septic system could handle Chauncy after he had a big batch of chili and barbeque, I figured it could handle some alien DNA with no trouble at all.

Bet he looks real skinny and funny in all that wet fur!

I had strained the milk and set it in the fridge, had coffee on and was heating up the frying pan for bacon when Jojo finally made his appearance. His fur was damp but clean and it didn't seem to have that flyaway aspect human hair seemed to have. Lucky.

He climbed onto the chair he used last night and smoothed down his bangs. I waved a cup at him. "Want some coffee?"

He shook his head. "Uh..could I have some milk, please? If you have any."

"Got some fresh this morning." I took out the pitcher and filled a glass for him then I put a small splash in my coffee. "So, what would you like? Eggs and bacon? Pancakes? Cereal? All of the above?"

"Eggs, please."

"Coming right up." I cracked a couple besides the bacon strips. "So, enjoy the bath?"

He gave a small smile. "I can't remember the last time I was able to do that. Thanks. Usually I can only get a shower at home."

"Pressed for time?"

He shrugged. "A lot of people live at my house. With one bathroom. We can't take too long."

That was why he asked for the time." Must have a large family. "

He made a small face. "96 sisters."

I almost dropped my cup.

"96 sisters? Are you serious?" Wow, tactless yet rude, Breck! "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. But..whoa. Your parents have really taken on a lot."

He shrugged again as if to say it was something one gets used to. And here I thought mice and rabbits bred fast! Did they come in litters or…no. None of my business whatever procreation patterns his species used. That's just being a bit too nosy. I turned the eggs over carefully and pushed down the toaster switch. "So, may I ask, how old are you?"

"14. I'm the oldest."

Yep, I was right! Just a kid, a kid with 96 siblings. I thought it was bad with me being the middle child with an older brother and younger sister. I couldn't imagine trying to live with 96 family members in the same house! "Probably gets a bit noisy."

Jojo nodded. "Yeah. I have my own room but it still so loud sometimes it's hard for me to do my homework. That's why I like the old observatory." Here a shadow fell across his face. "The….observatory. My invention….."

"Observatory, isn't that one of those big buildings with the telescope?" I didn't want to press too hard but it was clear something had occurred to him.

"I..there's an old one on a hill. Nobody went to it anymore. It was falling apart." He said slowly and carefully as if going through it step by step. "I go up there all the time. I…make musical instruments. Out of old junk and stuff I find. Then I tried…something new."

I slipped the eggs and bacon onto a plate and set it in front of him. The toast popped up just when I was putting forks and knives down so that took my attention for a bit. When I buttered the slices and was bringing them back to the table, I noticed Jojo studying his yet-untouched eggs.

"Something wrong?"

He gingerly poked at the yolk with his fork. "They're…a funny color."

"Funny color?" I looked over at his plate. They were the same orange and white eggs my chickens had always laid before. "What color should they be?"

"Green." Jojo poked the yolk hard enough to break it, then observed the dripping color on his fork tines. "Eggs are supposed to be green."

Well, I reminded myself this wasn't someone of this world. For all I knew he and his family ate green dragon eggs. Could have been worse, he could have said plaid! "Here if the eggs are green, that means there's something seriously wrong with them." I said cheerfully, digging into the ones on my own plate. "Either that or somebody splashed green dye on them."

He tasted the bit on his fork and then seemed to find it agreeable, orange or green. In fact he finished his breakfast before I did. Kids always seem to prefer to wolf their food down for some reason. Do parents instill this fear of their meal being removed before they were done or what? But then again, he did have some serious competition with 96 sisters.

I took the dishes to the sink, poured myself another cup of coffee and another milk for him. Now was the time to get down to the brass tacks. "So, Jojo," I sat back. "You said you're from Whoville and you're not sure how you got here?"

His face darkened which made the slight milk moustache he had all the brighter. He wiped it off, then stared at the floor. Oops, did I overstep the bounds, I wondered.

"Whoville is on….I mean, the whole world…my whole world…" He seemed to have a bit of trouble putting it in perspective. "We found out it's small. Very small. Small enough to fit on a clover. We were almost destroyed. Quakes, weird weather, high winds. Until Horton saved us. He's an elephant," he added.

I nodded thoughtfully. Oooookay. Must be those green eggs.

"So then I started thinking, why not try to see if one of us could go up there. To meet him. Horton, I mean. That person would have to get big and…well….I thought about using the old telescope in the observatory, turn it into a magnifying glass. That enlarges thing, right? And perhaps with the right frequency of the symphohorn…"

I didn't have the faintest idea what he was talking about but it appeared that the more enthused he was about something, the louder he got so I just sat back and listened. It was easier to do that than to try to make sense of it all. He talked of joining objects together and using tools that had such weird names I couldn't tell if they were animal, mineral or vegetable half of the time. He still talked even when I got up to get a coffee refill.

"Then suddenly, when the note got loudest, everything just…crashed. The lens was slipping out of the frame and when I was trying to get out of its way, the symphohorn did its last blast right next to me and I…blacked out." He turned the glass slowly round and round with his left hand as he stared into space. I noted he had only three fingers. Three furred fingers. Must be tough on the policemen in his world, trying to get fingerprints. Then my mind went back to what Jojo was saying.

"I..woke up and it was all dark. Dark and musty smelling. I didn't know where I was so I was trying to feel my way around. I called out and the next thing I knew there were all these…..these loud feathered things all flying around me, pecking and scratching me! I tried to get away but I didn't know which way to go. I was…scared." He admitted.

"Huh, if I woke up in a pitch dark room that had a bunch of noisy flying pecking things all around, I wouldn't be exactly calm and collected myself." I said. He gave me a small smile.

"Then you came in and that scared me too. I…didn't know what you were..are."

"Yeah, I kinda have that affect on people," I smiled back. "We call ourselves 'humans'. Although there are quite a lot of 'humans' I'd like to give a few more names to."

Jojo gave a small laugh at that. At least he wasn't as tense as he was last night. "We're Whos. I'm a Who." he said. "So, where am I anyway?" he added, finishing the milk. "I –think- I'm in Horton's world, I should be, but I'm not sure where to start looking for him."

"Well, you're in the foothills of Oklahoma." I offered. He looked blank. "In the US? Of A? " Still nothing. "North America? Earth?"

Clearly none of that made any sense to him. I stared into my coffee like I could find the answer there in the depths. "I don't suppose the Milky Way galaxy means anything?"

He shook his head.

"Ok, where is this elephant you spoke of earlier? This Horton?"

"Uh…the jungle of Nool."

Now it was my turn to look blank. He noted my expression and looked crestfallen. "It's not around here, is it?"

"Well, there's no jungle in this area. For that you're going to go either very very very South or over to Africa. Is Horton an African or Indian elephant?"

"There are….two kinds of elephants?" Jojo asked weakly.

"Ah..yes. The African Elephant is in Africa and the Indian elephant is over in India." I got up to look through the books in the living room and found the world atlas. Bringing it back, I opened it to the world page and spun it slightly on the table so Jojo could see it clearly. He stood on the chair and leaned forward on his elbows for a better view. "See, we're here." I pointed to where I figured we were on the North American continent. "This is Africa over here across the ocean and further still…" My finger continued moving to the right. "Is India, where the Indian elephant is found."

Jojo sat back, clearly disappointed. "That's this whole world, isn't it? And it's…..big." He looked lost again. "I could never find Horton in that." He slumped in the chair and stared at his hands.

I couldn't think of anything to say to comfort him, as I had no idea how to go about finding one particular elephant in either Africa or Indian. If he were in a zoo it might be easier but he mentioned a jungle. Talk about a needle in a haystack!

He gave a low sigh that bordered on a sob."So I don't know how to find Horton, and I don't know how to get back home, or even where home is." He clenched his jaws tightly but I could see the trembling. He was trying to keep from getting upset but it was hard.

So I was stuck with a lost alien kid. Somehow I didn't think watching for his picture on milk cartons was going to help. I was completely at a loss here. Even though I've had a kid of my own, she was grown and had been out of the house for almost two decades now. I'm no good when it comes to dealing with kids. Give me a calf, heifer, foal, pup, any youngin' in the critter category and I'm fine. But hand me a person under the age of 21 and I'm in a completely unknown world here. Some people are good with kids, I just ain't one of them.

But I knew I had to say something to reassure him. After all, he's totally alone here, no other Whos in the neighborhood (I could think of quite a few in town I would label as 'Whats' though.) and he didn't know how to get back. I took a deep breath and thought of what I would like to hear if I was 14 and thrown into a totally different world where I didn't know anyone or anything about it other than it had a 'Jungle of Nool' somewhere and an elephant named Horton.

Whatever happened to the name 'Jumbo'?

"Hey, if you got here, then there's a way to get back. It's just logical. An entrance can also be an exit. We just have to find it and…" here I had to wave my hand about. "..Get you back."

"But how?" Those large brown eyes stared at me miserably. Great, he just –had- to ask for details, didn't he?

"Well, you're gone from your world, right? That would mean your parents will miss you, come looking for you and then they would be trying at that end.." here I gave another wave. "And we'll be working at this end. Between the four of us I bet we can get something worked out." Yeah, feeble, I know but it did seem to reassure him a bit. Don't ever let him think this was as hopeless as it looked to me. After all, my tiny bit of space travel taught me a few things about transportation ; as in needing a reliable machine and a target to directly and accurately aim at.

I just didn't want to mention that to him. He had grasped at my suggestion eagerly, so eagerly, in fact, that that dim view of reality may have already occurred to him and he was just in denial about it all.

"Yeah, Dad would go up to the observatory, see the mess, read my notes and then.." here he brightened. "He'd take it all to Doctor LuRue! She would know how to get it working again!"

Thank you, Doctor LuRue, wherever you are, I said to myself silently. Aloud I said 'So there ya go! We just have to wait around a bit until then. Probably won't take just a couple of days." I finished my coffee and added "You can probably think of this as a short vacation."

"Vacation." He looked around as if the thought was quite strange to him. He smiled and gave a short shrug. "Sure."

Ok, now I had my regular ranch work to do and a 14 year old kid to amuse for I didn't know how long.

I rose up from my chair and set my cup in the sink for the later wash. "Well, I don't have any video games or cable tv so what sort of things do you like to do for fun? Other than assemble your own transformer beam set?"

Jojo looked at me, puzzled. "It's a transportation device, from a tv show." I explained. "Star Trek?"

"Never heard of it. What do you do?"

"I raise cattle, this is my ranch." I picked up my hat from the hook and slapped it on. "Come on outside and take a look around. Might see it better in the daylight this time."

He followed me out with the air of someone out on a great adventure but it started going wrong as soon as we hit the back porch.

Yep, you guessed it. Those darn dogs. They started in baying and lunging as soon as they caught sight. Jojo uttered a short sound which was part yelp and part squeak and backed up into the house. Before anything else we had to deal with the pack!


	3. Chapter 3

The Odd Visitor

Chapter Three

*****Story Note: Yep, it's true, I train my dogs the very same command Breck uses in this story. Whenever I use the loud 'Aaaaaa' (short 'a' as in 'apple') the dog is supposed to stop whatever its doing. Instantly. Very useful when training a young pup. I don't use 'No!' as it sounds too much like other words but that 'Aaaa!' is so different that it distracts the pup from whatever it is I don't want it to do and then I can substitute some other behavior. This grows with the dog until the adult knows it means that it's doing something I don't want it to do. Handy ;)

Ok, back to the story. *****

There are times in every dog owner's life when they need to have a distraction for their canine companions. I kept mine in a box just inside the back porch in the form of small crunchy dog treats. Grabbing a handful, I whistled then tossed them out all over the yard. As predicted, the trio went for them with gusto. For the moment their original quarry was safe, if not exactly feeling that way. I motioned for him to come out on the back porch. He just stood there inside the door and shook his head numbly.

"No, come on. Come out here. They just don't know you yet. Come here."

"I…don't think I want them to know me," Nervously Jojo watched them seek out and munch their treats.

"They'll leave you alone after this, I promise. Come here." I held my hand out to him. Couldn't blame him for being scared, he would be just a squeak toy to them! "I have to go through this every time I get new stock, believe me. Until they know you're a part of this ranch, they'll keep trying to get at you. I just have to teach them. So, come out and stand right…here." I positioned the small Who at the top of the steps. "Now, just stand there. Don't move and don't make a sound. All right? Don't worry, you'll be ok. I promise."

"Uh..ok." Jojo swallowed, then straightened up and became quite still. For some reason he reminded me of a prisoner facing a firing squad. No, I didn't offer him a blindfold or cigarette. That would be silly.

I was being truthful when I told him I had to go through this routine each time I added a new calf, horse or whatever here. Any strange animal is immediately pursued until I show them it actually belonged here. Fortunately I've trained them pretty darn well in that category.

Skeeter was the first to give up hunting for more snacks and spied Jojo standing there. He gave the cry of 'Look! There it is again! Let's get it!" and dashed up. The other two, alerted by his announcement, followed suit.

They were just a few feet from the porch when I stood up and hollered "AAAAAAAAA!!!!"

They instantly put on the brakes. They knew what that meant. Every pup I've ever had in my life was taught that lesson even before they learned their own names. That loud shout meant 'Whatever you are doing STOP it IMMEDIATELY!!!" Rebel took on his worried hound look, Grits put his ears back in submission while Skeeter sat and stuck his nose up in the typical terrier 'I wasn't doin' nuthin' pose.

I stood up next to Jojo and put my hand on his shoulder. Scowling at the dogs I said loud and firm 'LEAVE IT! You understand? LEAVE IT!"

That meant that whatever I was touching had been declared totally and permanently off-limits to them. They couldn't chase it, nip it or even bark at it without me coming down on them with dire consequences. I had heard of some ranchers losing newly-bought calves to their cattle dogs because it hadn't been made clear to them (the dogs, not the ranchers) that the new cattle belonged there now. I always made sure nothing like that happened on my spread.

I sat down on the step and motioned for Jojo to do the same. "Ok now it's time for introductions. Don't worry, they won't hurt you, they know better, but they've got to learn your scent now. Then they'll leave you alone. All right??" Jojo was still nervous about it all and bit his lip but he sat next to me, very next to me. Leaning against, in fact. I put my arm around him for reassurance.

Grits gave a loud snort as if to say 'gee, guys, this ain't much fun anymore" but he came up when I called and gave Jojo a loud quick sniff on his head. "This ugly thing is named Grits, He's the one I use when I have to round up the cattle. First rate cow dog!" Jojo made a tentative attempt to reach out and pet Grits but the Catahoula just walked off. He wasn't much of a one for making friends.

Rebel in his usual mild-mannered hound self not only accepted a pat or two during his introduction but added a long lick to Jojo's cheek. Good ol' nuthin'-but-a-hound-dog, you could almost count on them to be the ice breaker. Skeeter, the little rat, actually caught Jojo's arm gently up in his jaws and rolled his eyes over at me. Jojo froze in place but I made as if to swat the little creep and he dashed off. He's such a little fink sometimes. "He was just trying to be funny," I explained to Jojo. "He really wasn't going to bite."

Jojo rubbed his arm where Skeeter had held him and made a small face. "Slobbery, though."

"Yeah, that's dogs, real slobber factories." I stood up and dusted my hands. "Well, that's that. Time for some real work now!"

Jojo stepped off the porch and into the yard, looking about. He was still a bit nervous but the dogs had gone off on one of their usual jaunts. Only when he was sure they had gone did he seem to relax.

"So, what are you going to do now?" he asked. I was heading to the tack shed.

"Well," I answered as I opened the gate. "There's always something or other that needs doing on a ranch. Livestock to check. Fences to repair. Paddocks to clean out. But today I think we'll be going over to the back pasture. I've been keeping some young Angus steers out there and I hadn't seen them in a couple of days. Can you ride?"

"Ride? Ride what?"

"Horses. It's a bit far to walk."

"Uh..no, not unless you count merry-go-round ponies. And that was some years ago. When I was just 8."

"Well, this is going to be a bit different. Hmmm, Taw or Crow are both a bit too ornery for first time riders but ol' Stonewall will take care of you. He's smart and steady. I think you two would get along pretty well."

"Who's Stonewall?" Jojo climbed up on the fence to get a better view of the paddock. I pointed out the bay mule standing under the black oak tree nearby. "Uh….he's…pretty big…isn't he."

"Don't worry, he won't give you no trouble. Unlike those nutcases over there in the pasture." I got some feed out of the shed and rattled it in the bucket. "C'mon you two! Who's going to work today?!"

At the sound of the corn they both threw up their heads and came running. They usually came at a quick trot but somehow they always knew when there was a newcomer about and that meant they had to put on a show. Taw came dashing up to the gate, then dug in his feet for a quick stop well-known to Quarter horses and spun off again. Crow did his bit of bucking and running while squealing about what a 'vicious wild mustang' he was.

All for show. Neither one of them had a mean bone in their bodies but they were just too fond of kidding around. Taw could have been a first-class cutting horse but he just had a weird sense of humor. It cost him two homes before I found I could put up with his foolishness. We came to an understanding over the years. I wouldn't admit this to the other stock but the big buckskin was my favorite. I loved the big lug.

Crow was a piebald paint and just a bit smaller. He was considered a biter and a general nuisance until I found out he had been trained with tack just a bit too small for him. His chest was deeper and his girth wider than a normal Quarter horse and the annoying tack just grated on his nerves. So with a larger saddle and nothing more than a hackamore I found he was willing to work as smooth as any stock horse I'd ever owned. Unfortunately being with Taw meant the nonsense from the buckskin had rubbed off on him so instead of one gelding with the sense of a goose I had two. But they worked well enough for me.

Taw settled down first and decided that it was a pretty nice day for a ride after all so he came over to stick his head in the bucket. I grasped his mane and led him through the gate and over to the hitching post where I tied a rope about his neck until I got his bridle out. He munched on his reward while Crow nickered his disappointment. I shook my head at him.

"You had your chance, Crow. Mebbe next time."

I got the tack out of the shed for both mounts and came back to find Jojo perched on the fence and gingerly stroking Taw's forehead. The buckskin had finished his corn but was standing there just as still as could be with his eyes half-closed from the petting and his lower lip hanging loose.

He looked just plain goofy.

"Looks like you've made a friend." I said as I laid the tack down.

"Could I ride him?" the Who asked. I had to shake my head.

"Sorry but while he looks all calm and peaceful now, he can be the biggest idiot out on the trail. Let a rabbit jump out or a leaf blow across the path and he uses it as an excuse to pitch and buck all over. He won't do it much with me because he knows I won't put up with it but a new rider? No tellin' what tricks he'd pull. He's not all sweet and innocent!" I whacked Taw's fat butt and he broke out of his tranquil state with a snort. "You know I'm speakin' God's Truth there, Taw. I don't want you throwing our friend here up to the top of some old pine tree." I threw on the saddle blanket and pulled it smooth.

Now I knew one of Taw's favorite tricks was to reach back and pull the blanket off. Usually I would keep one hand on it to show him I knew what he was up to but this time I figured it would be amusing to Jojo if I allowed him to be his tricky self. Sure enough, when I turned my back to pick the saddle up, Taw reached around, grabbed the blanket and tossed it aside. I straightened up holding the saddle and gave him a look of disgust.

Jojo burst out laughing.

Well, that darn gelding's good for something, at least. Inwardly I was grinning too but I had to keep up the act. I frowned at the smug buckskin. "You idiot! Knock it off!"

Taw swung his head lazily to me as if to say "Who, me?"

I put the saddle down and retrieved the blanket. I spread it out again, shook my finger at Taw. "Leave it there!" and bent over to get the saddle.

Taw tossed the blanket off again. Jojo thought it was hysterical.

"This isn't getting me anywhere!" I pretended to growl. Once more, got the blanket, shook off the dust, spread it out and this time kept a hand on it till I got the saddle near. Taw knew the jig was up so he allowed me to swing the tack up and on him. I fastened the girth and thumped his belly. "Let it out," I warned.

Jojo winced at the thump. "Why are you hitting him?"

"It's another one of his tricks. When I get the saddle on he takes a real deep breath and holds it in. That way the girth strap won't be as tight as it needs to be and the saddle will slip when he lets it out. So one good thump will make him quite doing that."

"Heh, you're one smart horse!" Jojo rubbed Taw's forehead again. The buckskin agreed with a low nicker.

"Don't tell him that. It'll go to his head and then he'll be useless for sure!" I brought the bit up to Taw's mouth and he took it willingly, champing as I got the straps of the bridle fastened. The bit had some copper rollers on it and he liked to play with the things. Everything was adjusted properly so I dropped the reins to the ground and turned to get the tack for Stonewall.

"Won't he run off now? He's not tied to anything." Jojo asked.

I just pointed to the reins in the dirt. "He's trained to be ground-tied." I explained. "He won't move unless someone takes the reins."

I had thought they'd both be in the same position when I came back but I returned to the sight of Jojo leading Taw around the paddock. Taw had his head down near the small alien and Jojo looked like he had found a long-lost friend.

I never saw the like. Perhaps Taw would behave….? But no. I couldn't take the chance. I whistled for Stonewall and he came plodding over. Might as well let those two have some fun while I get the mule ready. While I strapped Stonewall up, Jojo came over with Taw and tried again.

"I'd really like to ride Taw. I don't think he'd throw me. Can I just try?"

So, ok, call me a softie. I smiled, then picked up the alien and set him up while Taw looked back as if to check he was getting the preferred rider. Jojo seemed a bit uncomfortable in the saddle and squirmed a bit. Small wonder, it wasn't exactly made for Whos to sit in! He'd be slipping off for sure. There was no way I could get those stirrups short enough.

"I think it may be better if you rode bareback," I decided. Not only would that be easier on those short legs but he'd be able to grab a handful of mane in case Taw did some fool stunt like swapping ends quickly. I set Jojo back on the ground and unsaddled the buckskin, then put him back up on Taw's back. Handing him the reins and showing him how Taw was trained for neck-reining I suggested they just go around the paddock for a bit, get used to each other while I got my mount ready.

I just hoped I wasn't making a mistake but the sight of Taw plodding around as slow and careful as an old plow horse with the small black and grey alien on his back just made my day. I turned to Stonewall and scratched one of his long ears. "Well, looks like you're stuck with me then."

Stonewall gave a huge yawn as if to show how thrilled he was about the whole affair. Smart aleck mule.

I opened the paddock gate leading to the other trail and led Stonewall out, then waited until Jojo and Taw passed through. Closing up, I swung up on the mule and forced him into a quick trot to catch up with Taw and his rider. I pulled him up and we went side by side down the trail.

It was a pretty day for a ride. The morning sun was just warming things up and the sky was just as blue as one could wish. Set the bright variations of green from the trees against it and what more could you want? The trail was lined with tall grasses and wild flowers too. Picture perfect. Should have brought my camera. Jojo seemed to really be enjoying himself, sitting way up on Taw and gazing about. One can certainly relax once one gets accustomed to the rhythm and beat of the ride. The plodding of the hooves, the squeaks and creaks of the leather, the jangling of the copper rings on the bits, even the occasional snort added to it all. Music to my ears, anyway.

We heard quail here and there and more songbirds. I decided to go the longer route so Jojo could see the river as well. The Kiamichi River may not be the bluest river, it's more of a grayish green, but the shape of it and the boulders here and there still made it worth the look. I gave him some comment on why it had the name 'Kiamichi', the word being Choctaw for 'Muddy water'. No, it's not really muddy, it gets that color from the amount of phosphorous in the dirt around here, but that information didn't seem as interesting to Jojo as the roadrunner I pointed out to him.

We saw the little fence swift lizards scurrying around the tree branches and under the rocks. I wished there was a mountain boomer about, they're always a pretty sight. Yeah, I know their real name is 'Collared Lizard' but around these parts they're 'Mountain Boomers'. Hmm, there's a big hill down a ways, with the rocks all exposed due to erosion. Wonder if we could happen upon one there.

Then, it happened. Dang it, I –knew- it would!! A pheasant sprang up right under Taw's face and he jerked back with a startled snort. He did a slight rear and Jojo found himself falling. He didn't even have time to yell but dropped the reins and grabbed for the long mane hairs on Taw's neck. He swung out on the buckskin's left side and was hanging there clinging for dear life!

Cripes! If he loses his grip he'll be right under Taw's hooves! And here Taw was still dancing about, trying to make up his mind whether to turn and run or spring forward!!!


	4. Chapter 4

The Odd Visitor Chapter Four

Ok, so here we were. Me trying to get Stonewall up and alongside of Taw, who was doing a hoof shuffle in the dirt and Jojo was hanging on to his neck to keep from being dropped down in the midst of those heavy hooves! I never believed that stuff about 'time standing still' but it seemed to take forever to get the mule's head hauled about and moving up.

But suddenly Taw stopped. He just stopped! And stood stone still while Jojo managed to climb back up on his back again. He had just sat up when I reached them and he gave me a shaky smile.

"S-see? Told you he w-wouldn't throw m-me!" he stated triumphantly. Taw gave his head a small toss in agreement. I gave him a disgusted look. Taw, not Jojo.

"Great. And here if it hada been me you would have thrown me twenty feet into a pile of cactus and took off for home! I guess I know where your allegiance lies." I retrieved the reins and handed them back to Jojo. "Mebbe I'll send you along with him when he goes back to Who-ville."

"Really? I'd take him! If you don't want him!"

"Well, I think you'd have to take that up with your folks." I reminded him. "Ninety-seven kids and a spoiled gelding. Don't know if that might be a bit much for them to take."

He made a face. "Yeah, plus I think my sisters wouldn't give him a minute of peace. They'd always be either riding him, or braiding his mane and tail, or something. Sisters are like that."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." I grinned over at him. "I can remember being about five years old and playing more with my pony than with any of my dolls. I even tried a bonnet on Spicy, one time. Seem to recollect she didn't like it much."

He gave a small laugh and was about to reply when he suddenly pulled Taw to a stop and sat quite still. I wasn't sure what had happened so I reined Stonewall up besides and was about to ask when he held up his hand. He had a small frown as if he was listening to something intently.

I looked about. I could hear the river down below, the frogs, birds, the wind in the pines. I wasn't sure what he was fixed on.

He answered my unspoken question with one of his own. "What is that, a river? They sound like that here?"

"They do if they're shallow enough." I nudged Stonewall into a walk again and looked for the trail leading down to the riverbed. "Here it's mostly rocky and the water gets up to almost a rapids speed. So you get this gurgling song. If it was a brook I guess you would call it 'babbling'."

Jojo didn't answer until we had reached the bank of the Kiamichi River. Its gray-green water tumbled over the collection of rocks in a white water swirly motion and the noise it made was one of my all-time favorite sounds. I could listen to it for hours on end.

Evidently Jojo liked it as well. "It's singing," he murmured. "It's a whole symphony."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." I let Stonewall wade out from the bank and get himself a nice long drink. I leaned forward on the saddle horn and took in the sight of whitewater, leafy trees, bushes and the bright bright blue sky. Jojo rode Taw out as well and looked about when he heard a sharp high pitched 'aaark!' followed by a splash. I grinned at the look on his face.

"That was a frog, they do that when they get scared. Make that noise then jump."

"More music," I heard him mutter. "I wonder if I could put that in somewhere…" His voice trailed away as he concentrated on whatever it was he was pondering. I don't know how long he would have remained in that state if Taw hadn't gotten impatient himself and started pawing at the water. Then his mutterings ended in a squawk. "Taw! You're getting me wet!"

"He's the joker, all right." I chuckled as I reined the mule back up the bank. "He just loves to cause trouble. Lean forward when Taw goes up this bank or you'll tumble off backwards into the river!"

Jojo took my advice and we made it back up onto the path without any trouble. That is, until he had gone back to whatever it was he had been thinking of earlier. I could tell from that dreamy look in his eyes so I flipped out my rein ends to tap on his foot. "Don't let your guard down when riding. Woolgathering will only get you into a lot of trouble real fast."

"Hm? Um..what?" He gave me a blank look. I shook my head.

"You have to keep your mind on your riding. No tellin' what can happen on the trail and you could very easily find yourself afoot and/or hurt. Plenty of time when we get back to the house to start day-dreaming."

"Oh. Sorry. I was just thinking about how I could get the sound of that river in my music. I like it."

"So do I but it has to wait. Ah, there's the gate to the pasture here."

I got off Stonewall then led him over to the narrow wooden gate at the side. Jojo looked puzzled as he pondered the wide cattle guard opening. Those things are becoming a bit rare, a thing from the past. I don't know why as they are such handy things. Simply dig a big pit the width of the gate, line it with pipes or boards length-wise even with the road so one can drive over it and there you go. No gates to open."Why have a gate and fence when you have that big opening there?"

"That's for the truck when I drive it up here. See those pipes lining it? Livestock won't cross it. They think it looks too dangerous. And I guess it is if they tried. Could break a leg."

"Hmm." Jojo still studied it. "Couldn't they jump it?"

"Actually most livestock try to avoid jumping if they can. Cattle aren't built for it and horses have to be trained for it. Well, most of them anyway. They're not like deer." I opened the gate and led Stonewall through, then waited until Jojo urged Taw on. They were almost in the clear when Taw got a bit close to the far post and Jojo had to pull his right leg up to prevent it from being squeezed between a buckskin shoulder and a rough barked fence post. "Hey! Watch it, Taw!" he shouted. Taw merely flipped back an ear.

"Told ya." I closed the gate and got back up on Stonewall. "Ya gotta keep on your toes. Or you might lose some." Not that he had any toes that I could see. I just hoped it was a lesson he'll remember.

We found the herd of Angus steers lounging about under a few black oaks. Their heads rose up as we approached and the jaws which had been chewing rhythmically all stopped. They were about half grown but hadn't put on as much weight as I'd like. Darn dry weather. Taw pointed his ears at them and watched them eagerly. Thankfully he knew better than to just break and run at them unless his rider wanted him to. A good cutting horse always loves to boss cows around but there are times when one just wants to simply look.

We walked along the far side of the fence just close enough to see every member of the herd. No use in getting them moved about when all I wanted was to check them out. "So, that's what you raise?" Jojo asked. "To eat?"

"Yep. Some of the best beef you'll ever eat comes from Angus cattle. Of course there are some people who think other breeds are better but that's all one's own opinion. You have cattle back in Who-Ville?"

"I don't think so. We have roast beast sometimes, on special days. Then it's stuff like chicken, geese or fish."

Roast beast. Sounded intriguing. Is that something they raise or hunt? That question was never asked as I suddenly uttered some rather tense swear words.

"What'd you say?" Jojo asked. I winced and swore again, silently this time, at myself. I didn't need to expand an alien teen's vocabulary!!

"Nothing. And don't be repeating what I said, especially if your parents are around!" I urged Stonewall over to the herd to make certain what I saw was really there.

Yep, it was. A steer with a big tear on the side of his shoulder. I couldn't tell what it was caused by or how severe it was unless I could get close enough. Stonewall wasn't my roping choice and Taw had no saddle and no rope. Just my luck!

"See that steer there? It's got hurt and I need to get to it to see how bad it is. And that means I have to find a way to rope it."

"Rope it. You mean you can't just walk up to it?"

Sensible question but unless cattle are raised around people all the time they tend to grow skittish when approached. It's the prey/predator thing, I suppose. I tied Stonewall up to a shrub and got the rope off his saddle. "I'd prefer to do it on horseback but Stone doesn't have the cow sense. Taw does but the saddle's back at the house. Which leaves me with few options."

I had the rope in my hand but was just standing there swinging it a bit. I never was that good at roping unless the cattle were in a pen. Out here in a pasture with no horse could be just plain impossible. Then I thought of another tidbit of info and almost swore again. I caught myself just in time and settled for just growling and grinding my teeth. Stonewall cocked one long ear at me.

I usually rode Taw or Crow out on days like this. The saddles I used for them were not only the better choice for roping but also had my lil tool kits in the saddlebags for Things That Go Wrong On A Ranch. In it I carried such things as wire cutters, pliers, an extra knife, some twine and of course, a small first aid kit. Even if I could get the steer down I wouldn't be able to treat it. Just something I'll have to get done tomorrow. No later. We do have a problem with screwflies here. That's why I wanted to see just how bad it was. Could be the steer wouldn't be able to wait.

Hmmm, no way was I ever going to get a rope around it. Not in a pasture with brush and trees. I turned to Jojo and Taw after I put the rope back on Stonewall's saddle. No use carrying it around when I couldn't use the thing.

"Here, let me use Taw for a while. I want to see just how bad off that steer is." I helped him down, and then pulled myself up onto the buckskin. I hadn't ridden bareback in a while and it seemed to get harder and harder to get on! The Who wandered off to a bit of boulders on the side and watched as Taw pricked up his ears and gave an eager nicker at the chance to bug some cows. It was always a game to him, the big lug. He lumbered forward until I pulled him back. All I wanted was to walk over, let the steers gradually move away. Not send them in a run off somewheres. Taw snorted in disappointment.

"Not this time, Taw. Mebbe tomorrow." I promised him. "Just get closer to that hurt steer. That's all I want."

If Taw could, he'd shrug his shoulders but he did as I asked. For once. If I tried cutting the cow out without a saddle horn to hang on to Taw would literally run out from under me. Cutting horses are that quick on the turns.

The steers eased out from under the oaks with only a slight bit of grumbling. I singled out the hurt one and was relieved to see it walked straight with no sign of limping. I pulled Taw up to a stop and when it saw we were no longer pursuing the steer turned to study us. I could see the wound clearly now. It was a long shallow rip about 8 inches across from the point of the shoulder straight back. A bit of hide fell from it but it looked like nothing more than the steer had rubbed up against the darn horse apple trees we have scattered about, the low shrub-like trees with thick heavy thorns about two inches long. I was well acquainted with that bit of shrubbery growing up. Vicious trees! But the 'fruit', if it could be called that, was fun to throw. A nice hard yellow-green sphere a little larger than a softball made a good weapon against one's 'evil' brother. And after they've been sitting on the ground for a bit turning a soft smelly brown, they made even better missiles!!

I've been trying to remove them off my land and out of my pastures for years now. Still the war goes on even after a decade. Darn things could survive a nuclear bomb.

Well, I wished I could smear a bit of salve on the tear but for the moment there was nothing more to be done. I turned Taw back to where Stonewall and Jojo were waiting for us.

Stonewall was still in the same posture as he had been in for the past fifteen minutes but Jojo had turned away slightly. He once again had that look of rapt listening. To what, I wondered. The rocks? Was he going to put the rocks in his musical score?

I pulled Taw up to a stop besides him and looked down. "Lose a contact?"

"I heard something," Jojo murmured. "Never heard anything like it before but it's stopped now. I wanted to ask you what it was." He moved a step and then…..the sound he was referring to started again.

A dry, raspy buzzing noise.

My heart stopped. Yeah, I knew that sound as well as I knew those blasted horse apple trees! Remain calm, I told myself. Don't make him do anything sudden.

"Uh…..Jojo?" I swallowed.

"Hm? You know what it is?" he looked up at me. The motion made the buzzing louder.

"Look. Don't move. Ok? Just freeze. Just like you are now. Don't even breathe hard!" I backed Taw up who was beginning to roll his eyes. He knew that sound well too!

Jojo moved his own eyes to look down. "Ah..it's bad, isn't it?" he whispered.

"Only if you move," I tried to reassure him but I was getting nervous myself. If I was the one in danger I could deal with it but if it was someone else I naturally become scared to death. For them. I got Taw off to a calming distance, then slid off his back. Looking around I caught up a nice long stick. I held it out in front of me and I slowly approached the alien on the rocks. (Hmm, that sounds more like a new fancy drink, doesn't it?)

"Now, you just stand there until I tell you to move, all right?" I held out my left hand in a stop motion. "Just wait. I'll distract it first."

Judging from the buzzing, it was coming from under a flat bit of granite three feet off from Jojo. If I could just get the critter focused on the stick instead of the small Who, that should do the trick. I tapped the stone. The buzzing grew even louder and Jojo's eyes went wide. "Hang on!" I cautioned him again. "Wait till I tell you." I tapped again then stuck the stick under the slab. I felt it being hit. "Now!" I shouted, waving him to the side.

Whos can move very quickly. Don't know if it was natural or if, like humans, they can do some pretty amazing things when the need arises. First he was on that rock then the next moment he was besides me. Suited me just fine. I pulled back the stick with relief. Jojo looked at the dampened end of the stick then back at the slab.

"So, what was it?"

"Rattler." I answered shortly, walking off a bit then setting myself down in an effort to calm my nerves. "A snake. A very poisonous snake. They like the little caves and holes among the rocks to curl up in. You just got a bit too close. They don't make friends with nobody."

"Oh." Jojo's voice became small again. Oh no, don't start talking in that faint whispy tone again! "I just heard that weird sound and was trying to find out what it was. I thought it might be just an insect or something."

"Well, guess I should've warned you. My fault. Sorry." I'm just not used to company that didn't know the same land and area that I did! "Just don't be sticking your hands, feet or anything else where you can't see. Safer that way."

Jojo sat down next to me. "Are there a lot of animals like that? That are dangerous?"

"I wouldn't exactly call them dangerous, as if you just use common sense you won't even see them." I waved the stick at the edge of the trail. "We got snakes, we got scorpions, we got tarantulas and wasps. Oh, and centipedes and fiddle-back spiders. But they all tend to hide in places like under rocks, logs and in clothes if you leave them piled on the floor. You should also shake your boots out in the morning before….wait, you don't wear boots. Or clothes!" I gave a small laugh. "Handy, that."

Jojo shrugged, still staring at the rocks. I decided that since we've seemed to have taken a break, I'd like some of my curiosity served. Besides, talking about something else would help my nerves, anyway.

"So, all you Whos..(That does sound weird. Like I was trying to yodel!) have fur? Black and gray striped? Must be nice, not having to do a lot of laundry at the end of the week."

"Not exactly. Most of us have the fur dyed and trimmed up in fancy ways. My mom's fur is orange with yellow stripes and my dad has a blue jacket-like trim. His fur is brown. My sisters are all colored and shaped differently. Especially their hair. Some have it sticking waay up" Here his arms flew up to mimic the hairstyle. "And some have it all curled in tails all which away." His arms fell back down. A thoughtful look came over his face. "I don't think I've ever seen two Whos with the same color pattern or furcut. We're all different."

"You don't like bright colors or fancy cuts?"

I got a slight face at that question. "It just all seems silly to me. I'd rather work on my inventions or music than have to take the time to sit in some salon chair. Mom trims my hair when it gets too long but I don't bother with anything else. Other than keep clean." He added. He glanced over at my arm and seemed to want his own questions answered. "You don't have any fur? At all? Just skin?"

"We do have fur, but only on one place." I smiled and indicated my eyebrows. "This is the only hair that fits that definition. "We do have hair but it's mostly short and fine. Well, I have to take that back, -some- people do have thick and heavy hair. In fact if my friend Chauncy walks about without his shirt on, the sheriff gets at least four phone calls reporting Bigfoot being in the area!" I laughed but then had to explain what Bigfoot was to Jojo since he sat there looking a bit blank. "It's a legend in some places, about a giant ape-like creature some people claim to see."

Having to explain it took most of the humor away.

He was still curious and stared at my arm. "I don't see hair, you're just…bald."

Gee, thanks, kid.

I took my hat off and held it on the side of my arm for contrast. "See it now?"

"Oh yeah." He squinted. "Huh, it's tiny fuzz. Like down or something."

"And that's why we invented clothes. Because we're all made up of tiny fuzz." I let my hat fall on his head and laughed. It had slid down till all one could see was his muzzle sticking out, with a grin. Cowboy hats weren't designed for earless Whos!

"But that means you can wear a different look every day. That must be nice. And a hat." He took the hat off and studied it. It was one of my favorites, black felt with a silver coin concho. "This is pretty neat!"

"I think we can find a hat that fits you, if you'd like one."

"Yeah! A black one, like this?"

"Sure. Should be some in town." I stopped and gave that thought a bit more worry. I couldn't take him into town! Or could I? But then a cloud fell across his face as he handed the hat back. "What's wrong?"

"On second thought, maybe I'd better not get black."

"Why not? It's a good color for hats, goes with just about everything. Even the good guys wear black these days."

"it's….these kids at school." Suddenly he turned from a cute furry alien to a normal teenager being. With the seemingly universal teen problems. "They say because I don't do any bright colors I must be 'emo' or something." He made another face, then gave me an imploring look. "But I'm not! I just…don't want to be bothered with such stuff! Why can't they understand that?"

I thought of my own teen years in high school (Many many many moons ago!) and the many times I had asked that question myself alone in my bedroom. 'Why can't they understand?' It seems that no matter where or what one is, a teen is a teen. "If I knew the answer to that," I sighed. "I'd write a book, go on talk shows and tours and be just freakin' out rich. I guess people that are miserable themselves have to go out and make others even more miserable just to make themselves feel better."

Jojo looked down at the ground, then nodded. "Yeah. I suppose so."

I couldn't stand that depressed look so I just reached around and gave him a small hug about the shoulders. "So, let 'em think that. They're wrong, of course and why should you let their opinion shape what you are? We're going into town tomorrow and get you a black hat, with a silver band! If they don't like it, it's most likely because they'll be jealous!" That speech was rewarded by a shy smile. I made a fist with my right hand and held it over to him. After a moment's consideration, Jojo made one with his left hand and touched mine, knuckles to knuckles. "Power to black hats!" I cheered.

At this point Taw had decided he'd waited long enough and gave us a nice loud neigh to remind us we were supposed to be riding, not sitting in the dirt being all profound and such.


	5. Chapter 5

The Odd Visitor Chapter Five

The rest of the day was without any further incident, although on the ride back I was still very annoyed with myself for forgetting my basic tool kit. What if something serious had happened and I needed those wire cutters? Or the twine? It was just lucky we didn't. I was a fool for allowing the sight of a furry alien riding my temperamental gelding to distract me. Never again, I promised myself. Not even if I stepped out just in time to see Mel Gibson doing back flips off the back of my mule.

Back at the stalls I showed Jojo the joys (and smells) of unsaddling and cleaning up the mounts. He could just reach Taw's shoulders with a brush if he stood on an overturned bucket so he did help. He didn't have the strength however to lift the hooves and clean them out with the hook but he was quite interested in the shape of them. "I thought they were solid all through." he mentioned as I pointed out the different parts and named them for him. He was also surprised when I showed him the way horseshoes were nailed on without any pain to the horse.

Turns out he was a city kid and he had little to no idea how to raise and care for animals. I couldn't blame his parents for that, having 97 kids and then adding a pet or two, or more would be a bit much of a much. No matter how much the kids would beg and pledge they 'would care for it forever!' I've heard that sort of promise several times myself.

When Taw and Stonewall were turned back out in the pasture he laughed as Taw did a series of bucks then rolled about in the dust. "After I brushed you and got you all clean!" he shouted after the gelding. "You just undid all my work!"

"They do that. No matter how pretty you make them, they think they can do it better with dust or mud." I agreed.

It was now late afternoon and if I knew anything about teens it was they were all bottomless pits. Especially the boys. "Care for some lunch?" I offered and noted how Jojo instantly brightened.

"I was just beginning to get a bit hungry," he said airily. Yeah, right. I may not have raised a boy myself but I have friends who have. I know what they're like.

And a Who teen was no exception. He polished off three ham sandwiches, a plate of chips and two slices of cherry pie along with four glasses of sweet tea. My watermelon pickles had him hesitating for a while but after one small bite those went as well. I have no idea where he put all of that. As small as he was and still eating that much. I hoped his sisters didn't have such appetites or his parents would literally be eaten out of house and home!

After lunch and the washing up, I went out to the back porch to grab my old leather gloves.

"Now what?" Jojo asked curiously.

"I've got to get rid of that brush pile back of the shed." I told him. "It's been lying there long enough and I don't want it to be used for a housing area for rats or snakes. So I'm gonna haul it to the middle of the side yard, pile it up and burn it. Along with the trash. Gotta get rid of it all."

Jojo looked a bit dubious at the notion of moving brush but he still offered to help. I wasn't sure what chore to give him that wouldn't be too much for his height (or lack of it) but I ended up giving him the rake. I guess he could gather up the smaller stuff in piles when I drag the bigger stuff over.

I started by kicking and poking the pile in places to make sure nothing was currently living in it. A couple of sparrows flitted out but not much else. I was about to give the all clear to Jojo when I saw him standing stock-still and staring at the ground.

'Oh crap.' I thought. 'Not again!'

I hurried on over then had to stop and smile a bit. It was a snake, all right but a harmless type. "It's ok," I reassured him. "That's just a milk snake. They're the good kind to have around."

"You sure?" Jojo looked at it like he wasn't.

I knelt down and carefully picked it up. It twisted about my hand and fingers, tongue flicking about. "See? Even if it did bite nothing will happen. They have no poison but they're murder on mice!"

Now fear gave way to curiosity and he moved in for a closer look. "But how can you tell which one's poisonous and which one isn't?"

"Here in America the poison snakes have a wedge-shaped head. And cat eyes. See how this head's rounded off smooth and the eyes are round? Of course this doesn't apply to coral snakes. If you see a small snake with red, yellow and black bands leave it alone, ok?"

"Red, yellow and black bands. Got it." He nodded. He had gathered enough courage to allow the milk snake to reach out and slither across his hands. "It sounds pretty though."

"Oh, it's beautiful all right. But it can pack a whallop. So don't be picking it up if you see it." Of course there were the harmless king snakes, which used the same colors but I didn't want to confuse him. Easier just to tell him to beware and leave it at that. " And by the way, you did the right thing, remaining perfectly still if you weren't sure about the snake."

"I saw it coming out of the brush at me and I wasn't sure what to do," he confessed. "It didn't rattle like the other but I thought it probably couldn't when it was moving."

"Rattlers can rattle as they move but if you're unsure of a snake's identity simply freezing in place will keep you from getting bit. They don't want to bite you but they don't like to be scared either. Don't bother them and they won't bother you."

"Sounds like a good philosophy." He observed. "So what do we do with it? You're not going to kill it, are you?"

"Naw, I don't kill snakes, especially the good ones. Just take it across the road and let it go." I pointed. "Just be careful not to step on one as you go!"

Jojo looked a bit nervous as he went to release the snake. What I said probably made him think the whole place was crawling with dangerous reptiles but if that would keep him looking out for trouble, trouble can be averted.

Brush work is hot work and by the time we had the pile moved over and burning the sun was starting to go down and we were both hot and dirty. I wiped my brow with my shirt sleeve and notice Jojo panting a bit.

"A good day's work, I'd say. Thanks for the help, Jojo. I appreciate it."

He gave me a tired smile. "I didn't know ranch work was this hard." he admitted. "I thought you just rode all over counting cows!"

"There's a lot more to it than that. If it were that easy I'd think we'd have more ranchers about. And more cattle than you could shake a stick at." I tossed in a said stick then walked around the blaze to make sure everything was in the clear and it wasn't going to get away from us. Last thing I need was a wildfire. Fortunately it had rained the day before and the clearing was clean of any fuel other than short green grass. Always use a lot of caution when burning stuff!

By now the animals were crowding about the gates, reminding us it was dinnertime. Taw had even reached out and shook the bucket hanging on the other side of the fence. Jojo brushed his hands off and looked over.

"Guess there's still work to be done. They're hungry," he announced, as if he'd been working at feeding livestock his whole life. I smiled to myself .

"Yep. Feed the critters before we feed ourselves. That's the name of the game."

"What do you feed Taw and the others?" he asked as we walked over. Our approach made them all the more excited. You'd think I only fed them once a month, the way they carried on so. Even the darn chickens.

"I got some oats and corn for them, and for Blossom and ….Hey! Watch it!"

Any motion to the shed brought on the stampede of the dogs. They'd been lying about all day in the shade, saving up their energy for this one mad rush. Jojo looked a bit fearful still as they ran around barking their fool heads off but once he saw they really didn't pay him any further attention (other than to see if he happened to be carrying anything edible) he finally relaxed.

"You dunderheads, watch it!" I growled. "Someday I'll end up breaking my neck and then who'll feed you? Hm?"

The threat, as usual, was empty and they, as usual, ignored it. "I guess we'd better feed them first or else they'll be jumping on us when we feed the horses," Jojo laughed.

"That's the order. Fool dogs first so we can walk about in relative peace, then the chickens, the horses, and Blossom. Could you get those pans for me, from under that tree? Somewhere?"

Why those silly canines couldn't just eat and leave their bowls in the same place I had never figured out. Once they've eaten the last crumb and licked the bowls spotless you'd think they'd have no further interest. But no, they had to shove them around in the vain hope some morsel had snuck under them, then veer off to check the other dogs' bowls as if they had actually left anything, then back to the first bowl to lick it right across the yard. I'd entertained the notion of chaining the darn things to the tree but they'd had found some way to drag the bowls off, tree and all, somehow. So it was always a hunt to find out where they'd been left each day. Jojo finally collected them and brought them over to be filled.

"Are they always this noisy?" he winced as they increased the tempo to the rhythm of the dog chow being poured in.

"Only when they think there's food involved somewhere, or hope it is. Which is pretty much most of the time." I did the bit of carrying the bowls back and setting them down as I didn't want the fool things to take a bite out of our visitor in their eagerness to eat more than the other. It wasn't like they were starving but they sure acted like it every time.

The chickens were the easiest, of course, and once Jojo saw that he wasn't required to go inside the pen but rather stand out and toss the scratch in, he was more inclined to deal with them. But I imagine I did hear him mutter a 'stupid chickens' under his breath once.

After giving the horses and mule their feed (I suspect Jojo gave Taw a bit more. Tsk, showing favoritism like that.) Blossom lowed gently as if to remind us it was her turn.

"Ever milk a cow?" I asked Jojo as we carried her ration to the shed. I wasn't surprised when he shook his head.

"I've seen it done on some shows or movies," he admitted. "But I've never even been close to a cow."

Blossom was already in the shed and waiting in her lady-like fashion for her meal and milking. Not for her the rushing in and gobbling, she took her time in the aristocratic way Jerseys had of consuming her grain and hay. While Jojo stroked her neck and admired her horns I went back to the house and fetched the cleaned pail. I pulled up the stool besides her great hanging udder and washed off the teats with the cleaning solution I kept in there and paper towels. Then I squirted a sample from each into a cup for study.

"Making sure it's milk or what?" Jojo gave a small grin.

"Well, it's not orange juice this time," I teased back. He almost did a double-take before he realized the joke. "No, I'm just making sure she's ok and the milk's fit to use. Sometimes cows can get some big problems here. Or just get into some garlic patch. That does leave an odd flavor."

I tossed the samples aside then pulled the pail over. As I got into the steady beat of milking Jojo watched closely. "So that's how it's done."

"Care to try?" I moved over a bit and showed him the grip to use. "Move way up, then squeeze on down. Don't pull, that works only in cartoons."

Milking does take a bit of practice so I wasn't surprised when he couldn't quite get the hang of it. "I guess I can't be a dairy farmer then," he admitted. "You make it look easy."

"Some twenty years of milking will do that. Of course on large operations they have the milking machines but with only one cow I don't bother." The milk was drying up a bit so I took my fist and whacked her upwards. Jojo winced again.

"You always seem to be hitting something," he complained.

"She wasn't letting her milk down and anyway I'm not as rough as a calf would be. They'd whomp their mom so hard with their head you'd swear they were trying to cripple her but that's what it takes sometimes." Blossom gave a low moo as if agreeing.

"Well, it sure seems…violent." he noted.

I decided not to do any butchering when he was around. Might as well have his visit end on a high note. No telling what he'd do if I slaughtered a steer or even a chicken. I gave an inward sigh and also put hunting on hold. If he had to stay around until way past the season I'd beg some venison off Chauncey or somebody.

Finishing with the milking I put the filled pail behind me. Experience had taught me not to try and get up off a stool and carry the darn thing at the same time. Bad combination. "That's it until tomorrow morn…" I never finished the sentence as Bossy decided right then and there to swish that blasted long tail and catch me right across the face. I smothered a curse as Jojo almost fell backwards into the manger with laughter.

"I'm…I'm sorry…for l..laughing at you," he gasped. "But that was…was just…just so…" He dissolved again in whoops as Blossum gave him a gentle glance of almost approval.

"Thanks for the entertainment, Blossom." I rolled my eyes as I carried the pail out of the shed. Jojo followed as he tried to regain his breath, then he seemed anxious.

"You're not mad, are you? With me laughing?"

I had to laugh myself. "Shoot no. If it had been the other way around wouldn't you think I'd be laughing myself silly too? No harm done. In fact that's just what we call 'occupational hazard'."

"Wish I had my camera" I heard him mumble to himself. I imagined my picture being plastered all over some alien web page and almost burst out laughing myself. That would certainly be a strange thing!

After straining the milk then cooking up supper (venison stew I had made up some time earlier and stored in my freezer) I wasn't too sure on what else to do. Usually I simply sat out on the front porch listening to the day shift critters giving way to the night shift but I had an idea teens needed a bit more entertainment. Still I'd give the peaceful bit a chance.

"Care to sit out front with me?" I offered. "I do have a tv but it doesn't get very many stations very well. And I'm afraid I don't have any video games."

"That's ok, I don't care too much for tv." He shrugged. "In fact what I usually do is work on some of my ideas in my room until everybody gets ready for bed. Then I go out to the observatory…." He trailed off as he remembered the state he had left it in and I wondered if he would be able to repair it all. Or even return to it. I didn't voice my thoughts, however. Never borrow trouble.

"What sort of programs do you have there?" I asked, trying to get his mind off that observatory. We were out on the porch by now, the sunset red behind the trees now and the darkness creeping in on the other side. We sat in the old porch swing and relaxed against the cushion.

He bit his lip in thought for a moment. "My sisters like the 'Who's Got Talent'," he offered. "And Mom loves the reality shows. Dad goes for the sports channels. Sometimes I watch the scientific programs if they have some interesting electronics on. But mostly I just like to work on my inventions and music."

"If more people would do stuff rather than sit around watching other people do stuff," I observed. "Who knows where we'd be or what we could do. But that's the way it is, I suppose."

He nodded thoughtfully and was about to reply when his attention was caught by a flit of movement in the air in front of us. "Uh…what was that?"

I didn't even need to see it a second time. "Bat." I answered. "After the bugs."

He seemed intrigued. "I've only seen them in pictures and tv. They really that fast?"

"Bugs are fast so they are. Care to tease them a little?" I got off the porch and bent down to pick up small pebbles. "I used to do this a lot when I was a kid. Bet the bats just hated having me around!" I waited until I saw the small body flitting past then I tossed a pebble up. True to form the bat detected it and swooped down to catch it. A multi-second later we heard the 'thunk' of the pebble hitting the ground after the probably-confused bat dropped it.

"He caught it! He thought it was a bug and he caught it." Jojo was amused. "He didn't bite it, did he?"

"They catch the bugs in their wing or tail membrane then grab it." I explained. "That bat's probably wondering what the heck a rock was doing up there!"

"'How to confuse a bat'," Jojo murmured. "Film at 11!" He tossed up a pebble to baffle another bat. "Poor things!"

"Simple country entertainment." I smiled. "And no batteries required too."

At the sound of our voices the dogs milled up, wanting attention. Grits still pretended the alien didn't exist while Rebel tried his best to get him in a game of catch. As Jojo went out into the yard with the proffered ragged tennis ball Skeeter did his best to trip everybody up as usual.

It was going to be too dark to see well soon but it was still a good ending to the day. Got some needed work done and I was beginning to enjoy having the company and help around. I wasn't going to admit it to myself just yet but it was a pretty good bet I was sure going to miss that Who when he went back to his own place. I watched him as he threw the ball for Rebel to chase and Skeeter to bark madly for. Just a kid and mutts enjoying themselves. Grits laid there in front of me watching all the commotion with a snooty air. "Wouldn't exactly hurt you to go out there and have some fun," I told him. He then decided a flea at the base of his tail was more important to deal with that to acknowledge the truth of what I said. I shook my head at him and went back to watching the others.

I was just about to call them in since it was getting pretty dark when Skeeter did one last cutting in front of Jojo when he was running after Rebel. He was tripped up and went flying with his hands out-stretched in front of him. A simple spill ,I thought, not really concerned.

Then the shrill cry of pain vaulted me out of that porch swing and I almost tripped myself, over that darn Catahoula.

Oh cripes, now what??


	6. Chapter 6

The Odd Visitor Chapter Six

I ran over to Jojo as fast as I could without breaking my neck over some hole or rock in the yard. I wasn't sure what had happened but from his hollering it wasn't pleasant. Not another snake, I prayed! Oh man, if it was, what to do? I couldn't take him into any hospital and the snake bite kit I had was geared only for humans! And what if he had broken an arm or leg in his fall? Again, no doctor visit for an alien. Oh man, my stomach was twisting itself in knots as I reached him and skidded into a kneeling position besides him.

He was also on his knees holding his hands out as if he didn't know what to do about them. His teeth were gritted tight in pain as he looked up at me. "Ah…help?" he said in his low voice. (Dang it, here we go again!) "It..it hurts."

I took his hands and turned them over but it was too dark to see exactly what had happened so I asked him. "Did you get bit?"

"I…I don't know. Ow!" he winced and pulled back as my fingers ran over his palms. "I fell on something with a lot of spikes and now they're stuck in my hands! Owww!"

I almost collapsed in relief at his explanation. Oh I knew cactus spines were painful, especially if you had them driven in deep as he most likely had done but at least it was something I could deal with. "C'mon, let's get in the house so I can take a look." I helped him up and for once the dogs allowed us to go in undisturbed. His shouts probably had rattled them enough to clear off.

In the light of the kitchen I helped him get into his chair so I could take a good look. Oh man, what a mess. Amongst the fur I could see dozens of cactus spines embedded and most likely there were a lot of the smaller fine ones that can't be easily seen. (I hated those type the most! You think you finally got all of the darn things out, rub the area and OW! Nope, you still had some left to dig out.) Reddish tints were beginning to stain the fur around each one and I winced in sympathy. His whole weight, such as it was, had driven them in rather deep. At least the thickness of the fur had offered a bit more protection than bare human palms would have had.

"This ain't gonna be pretty," I murmured as I went to fetch some hot water in a bowl and the tweezers. And here I thought it was such a lovely peaceful evening! "I'm sorry, Jojo but I'm going to have to pull them out."

He tried a forced smile. "I didn't think they could be left in..Ow!..there. And at least I didn't….sit on it."

That simple remark took me back a couple of years ago. Cripes, was it really that long ago when I helped another alien with an injury problem? Yes, thankfully Jojo didn't fall back on the darn plant. I had enough removing flotsam from an extraterrestrial's hindquarters with the Doctor. (See 'Doctor Who and the Redneck'.)

I took the nearest hand and quickly grabbed and pulled one spine out. Jojo jerked back a bit and drew a hissing breath in between his teeth but I knew it was best to get them out as fast as possible before the swelling started getting really bad. I dropped that one onto the table and grabbed another spine. Then another. Jojo bore it as best he could but after the fifth one was plucked out he couldn't suppress the reaction of grabbing his wrist with his other hand. Which was, of course, a mistake. He jerked both hands back violently and uttered a few words I had never heard of before.

I raised my eyebrows and simply looked at him. I wasn't familiar with those particular Who expressions but I knew from the way they were uttered what they meant. After a moment a flush crept up on his face that was evident even from under the fur.

"Uh…um….I'm..I'm sorry." He murmured. "I couldn't help it. It…it hurts!"

"That's what swear words are for, after all. Yeah, I know it hurts, I've had my share of these blasted things stuck in me." I reached for his hand again and after a moment's hesitation he released it. Unfortunately the cactus he chose to fall on wasn't the simple beaver tail prickly-pear variety. It's the most common cacti around here and the one with the straight smooth spines. If one had to have a choice of cactus to fall on, they'd be best off picking that one even if it did grow to a pretty darn good size. But no, it just happened to be the hedgehog species with the tiny barbs in the stickers. I had no idea that stuff was lurking around but since it was a low-growing plant it's easily over-looked. Not the most common cacti either. Just his luck.

It took the better part of an hour to get them all out and by that time he'd almost bitten his lip hard enough to draw blood. Tears were streaming down his face again but he was really pretty darn brave about it all. Me, I'd most likely be hollering my head off and turning the air within the next couple square miles blue with all the swearing I knew plus some I'd have to make up on the spot. Hmmm, maybe I should remember those Who words he used in the future.

After I removed them all including those annoying miniscule bits I put his hands in the basin. The by-now tepid water almost immediately turned a deep pink and he hissed again in pain. "Just bear it for a minute or two, it'll feel better pretty quick." I told him as I swept up the spines into a paper bag. "A good soaking will help get it all cleaned out."

He didn't reply but kept his eyes fixed on the far wall. After a bit he relaxed with a sigh. "Man that hurts," he murmured. As he soaked his hands I decided it would help matters even more if he simply soaked the rest of him as well. After all, we did get pretty grimy this afternoon. So I went in and got the tub filling.

"Ok, time for the rest of you to get washed as well," I said lightly. "Get the horse, the brush and smoke smell off. Tub's about full now, I think."

I was tossing out the basin water out in the backyard when I heard him calling for me. Turned out he couldn't climb in without the use of his hands. Stupid me didn't think of that. I helped him in and then with a sigh he sank into the tub and with just a slight wince relaxed.

I hope he wouldn't take as long as he did that morning. I needed a wash too!

It turned out he didn't. After about 20 minutes he called out that he figured it was my turn but he now needed help climbing out. The tub was already empty but there was still a bit of a furred ring around. I wasn't surprised as it would be hard to do any cleaning up with injured hands. He couldn't squeegee the water out of his fur either so lifting him out was like lifting a load of sopping wet towels out of a washer that had decided to quit in the middle of a cycle. The bath had really added some weight to him! He started to apologize as he stood there dripping but I waved him off.

"Hey, no problem. There's no way you could do much at this time. At least you're not shaking the water all over and giving me a shower like one of those dogs would do."

"Oh, you mean like this?" Grinning, he gave his head a quick shake and I got splattered. I laughed as I held up my hands to fend it off then dumped a towel over him.

"I prefer to wash my clothes separately." I toweled him off as best I could but fur doesn't dry quickly, no matter what species it was on. "Well, as long as you're not going to go out in the yard and roll in the grass that should do it."

Jojo yawned as he left the bathroom. "Nah, I prefer to use the flowerbeds!"

It took a few minutes to mop up the bathroom floor and remove the tub fur ring and I was glad when I sank into the wonderful hot water myself. When I got out of the tub and into my own pajamas and housecoat I found him sitting on the couch almost asleep. Well, it was getting late after all. "Hey," I gently touched his shoulder, not wanting to startle him. "Time to hit the sack. How are the hands now?"

He looked at them sleepily. "They're still aching a bit but not as bad. I guess I'll live."

I hadn't removed the pillow or blanket from the rocker this morning so after fluffing it up a bit I helped him in and tucked the blanket around him. "Ok, g'night. And remember, holler if you need me."

"'Kay," he murmured, barely awake now. "G'night, Breck."

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He was studying his hands ruefully at the breakfast table the next morning. "I don't think I'll be much help to you today." he admitted. He at least had use of his finger tips so he could still use the silverware and hold a glass.

"How they feeling today?" I sat down with my coffee cup and reached out to examine them. I couldn't see much swelling but even though I was trying to be as gentle as I could, I could tell from his wincing and lip-biting they were still quite tender. "Well, it doesn't matter, as we're not going out in the pasture. You forget already?"

"Forget what?" he concentrated on picking up and holding his glass without dropping it. I got up and fetched a straw so he didn't have to bother so much and he gave me a thankful look.

"What we talked about yesterday. Goin' into town and getting' you a hat, remember? And while we're at it…" I sat back and sampled my coffee. "We might think about getting you some boots as well. I don't want you discoverin' some more cactus with your feet!"

"Hmm," he glanced down and considered my own boots, then looked at his feet as if wondering how they would look encased in leather. "They'd probably feel funny, I never had to wear anything on my feet before."

"I take it you don't have any sharp stones, cactus or any other rough stuff in Whoville?" I got up to wander into the kitchen. Time to fix breakfast. "How about some pancakes? I can cut them for you so you won't have to put any pressure on your hands."

"Sounds good. Um…well, we have sidewalks, lawns and stuff. Probably out in the country I would need something but I've never been out there yet."

"Never out in the country? At all? Not even for a visit?" Poor kid, I thought. Stuck in a city. But then some people like living in town and never having to go out into the 'wild' or the unknown. I've known some city folk who practically went into hysterics upon viewing a chipmunk!

"My dad really can't get away. He's the mayor, after all, and he has to be where the city council can reach him if they need to." I saw him making a face and muttering 'city council' in a mocking tone under his breath. It seemed he wasn't very fond of this group. "So all our so-called 'vacations' are either in town or at the outskirts. I did get to go with my mom to visit my grandparents once, way out at the very edge of Whoville by the sea but that was way before all my sisters came. I don't remember too much of there besides there seemed to be an awful lot of sand. And sea."

I mixed up the batter and spooned out 2 pancakes on the griddle. 'So this really is totally new for you."

"Yeah. But, still, I like it. It's quiet. Nobody to almost run into you no matter where you are in the house. Trees. The river. Taw." Here he muttered something under his breath that sounded like 'nobody telling you stupid things about being mayor' but I wasn't sure. And I wasn't going to press him. "Even all that brush work was kind of fun, in a way."

I laughed. "You wouldn't think that if you had to do that every day! But yeah, I know what you mean. I'm not rich but I wouldn't trade this for any mansion in any big city. What I have is my own and I've worked for it. Just that alone makes all the hard work worth it. Maybe you could start a ranch in your own world, when you grow up?"

The sound he made at that was part sigh and part snort. Don't ask me to describe it any better than that. But it was clear the idea was on the edge of impossible for him. "I could just see me trying to convince my dad of that! It's hard enough to keep reminding him I want to be a musician and inventor, not mayor!"

I looked over my shoulder at him after I flipped the cakes over. "You're expected to be mayor next? Kind of young for that, aren't you?"

"One of my family's been mayor for I don't know and I don't care how long. Everybody's expecting the next one to be me. I don't want it. I never did want it. I don't want to have the council hanging over me waiting for me to make a mistake. I don't want to be stuck in that stupid office approving budgets, or signing ordinances or sit on that stupid giant meatball in the Edible Parade!"

'Meatball'. 'Edible parade'. No, different peoples, different cultures, Breck. You know that full well. I glanced back at him again and noted his mouth had gone into a fine tight line and his eyes sunk in a sort of brooding mode. He had even slumped down in a typical teenage posture and if his hands weren't hurting so much I bet he would have shoved them in his pockets. ( If he had pockets. Did he?) So he settled for laying them in his lap.

"Parents usually want what they think is best for their kids," I said non-committably.

Again that odd sigh-snort sound. He didn't elaborate any further and I felt it was none of my business to say anything else. . I slipped the pancakes onto a plate, added butter, syrup and cut them into bite-sized pieces. I also added a few blackberries I had in the fridge as an attempt to cheer him up. But even after I set the plate in front of him he stared out into space, lost in his thoughts.

Teens. Oy.

He had hardly touched his breakfast when I sat beside him with my own stack. I watched him for a couple of moments, then decided enough was enough. "Hey, Earth to Jojo."

"Hm?" he glanced up with his brooding eyes a bit unfocused.

"Come on" I tapped his plate. "It's getting cold. And it's hard to reheat pancakes."

"Oh. Sorry." He tucked in then. "I just got to thinking about what Dad would say to this place, if I wanted to start something like this."

What Dad would say obviously wouldn't be what he wanted to hear, judging from the look on his face. But I had my own problems to deal with at the moment, such as how am I going to get him looking less like a Who and more like just a short strange human with a severe five o'clock shadow when we went into town that day.

The problem still nagged at me as I went about on the morning chores. Jojo walked out with me and wistfully watched but without the use of his hands that was about all he could do. Useful things, hands. He did sit up on the gate and carefully stroked Taw's neck with the back of his hands and Taw still appreciated the attention.

I was coming out of the chicken pen with the eggs when he looked over at me. "Would you mind not looking at me like that?"

That question threw me for a loop. "Huh? What?"

He carefully got off the gate and walked over. "You've been glancing over at me like you're wondering how I would look hanging on the wall next to that deer head you have in the living room." he complained. "You're starting to creep me out!"

I gave a short laugh and shook my head. I didn't know I had been doing that! "Sorry, I was just trying to come up with a way to have you look as human as possible when we go into the store today. People just aren't used to aliens coming in and shopping for hats."

"It didn't seem to bother you," he pointed out as we walked back to the house.

"I had some experience before. Aliens are just people once you get down to it. Oh some may look different, have more than one head or sometimes they're just a shapeless blob, but still people." I set the eggs on the porch table and took the milk pail inside. "But I have to be honest and say the first time I saw you I thought you were just a skunk!"

"Gee, thanks."

"Well, what did you think –I- was when you first saw me?"

He thought back for a moment. "Uh…I thought you were some sort of…grossly deformed Who…"

Now it was my turn to mutter 'Gee, thanks.'

"But anyway," I continued. "Possibly with a long sleeved shirt and some pants people might not give you a second glance. Problem is, I don't have clothes around here that small."

"Wear clothes? That would be kind of warm."

"I could always put a collar around your neck and tell people you're a new species of South American marmoset!" I winked at him.

He wasn't sure whether to be amused or affronted. "A what?"

"It's a small species of monkey," I explained. He gave me a mock insulted look.

"What, like I'm your pet or something? Then how would you explain buying a hat for your pet?"

"Well, some people have monkeys dressed up and they dance to a musical instrument. People would give them coins as payment for the entertainment….hey!"

I picked up the pot holder he had thrown at my head and laughed. "You know I wouldn't do that."

He grinned at me. "Yeah, I know. But why not just tell them the truth? Why would that bother them?"

Why would it bother them. I sighed. How on earth to explain that, all in all, humans are a very nervous and violent species. How we have trouble accepting other humans based on plain skin color, let alone someone looking totally inhuman. "Let's just say it would be a lot more peaceful and easier if they didn't know." I also didn't want to mention that if word got out that there was another intelligent being waltzing around on Earth, he would be whisked away to some science and/or space building before you could say 'Area 51'! There was no way I was going to allow him to be sentenced to a life of a lab rat. "People tend to get a bit freaked out by stuff like that."

He still looked dubious so I tried another angle. "Ok, say it was me that appeared on your world. How would that go?"

The Who pondered that for a moment then he raised his eyebrows in an expression of understanding. "You'd probably end up in the zoo."

"That could be a lucrative career anyway. " I poured myself another cup of coffee before joining him at the table. My body needed more caffeine to figure this out. "Think I would draw a good crowd?"

He pretended to give it some thought. "Well…maybe if you learned a few good tricks…."

This time it was his turn to duck the pot holder.

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He ended up wearing my smallest shirt (before I started gaining weight) with some of the tail cut short and the sleeves trimmed. At least we had an excuse to hide his furred hands, in bandages I wrapped as gently as I could. I added some extra holes in a thin leather belt to tuck in the extra width. The faded red material really didn't look too bad on him. We decided that since his legs and lower body were striped, they did resemble a sort of pants. If anybody who was being nosy asked I would just chalk it up to the weird city fashions. As for his face, well, that long black fringe would tell most of the folks in town this was just another long-haired kid and would just leave it at that.

I hoped.

He fussed a bit with the collar as we got into my old truck. The dogs milled around, hoping for a ride but I drove them out of the truck bed and back into the yard where they sat in mournful disappointment. As we started down the road I glanced at him. "Not used to stuff like that, eh?"

"You wear this stuff every day," he turned his head to me and again pushed down the collar since it was now against his cheek. "This feels like taking the blanket off the bed and carrying it around with me all day."

"We get wrapped in clothes from the moment we're born and we're buried in the things when we're gone. So we're kind of used to it." I explained. The truck bounced around a bit on the dirt road. I could see where I would have to order up a load of gravel to fill in the appearing potholes before too long. "Believe me, there are some humans that you don't wish to see without clothes. Ever!"

Now his attention was turned to the road and the truck. "Bit bouncy, isn't it? Can't you make smooth roads?"

"The county and state roads are better but this road is mine and I have to pay to keep it up. That means as cheap as I can get it. Rain and weather keep carving it up and I keep smoothing it out." I had to veer off to the left to avoid one big crater that the last storm had nicked out. "Some years it's just hard to keep ahead of it. One time we had such a huge storm I got a new creek trying to run across my road and for two years I kept paying to get the rut filled in. Finally I gave in and put a low water bridge across the whole danged thing. Cost me almost my entire payload from that year's steers but at least I don't have to worry about it now." Another turn, this time to the right. "On the good side, I have a new water source in the pasture."

"'Low water bridge'?"

"You'll see in a minute." After a bit I pointed through the windshield. "See it?"

Jojo had to lean forward and squint, then his eyebrows went up in surprise. "The water's going over the bridge? Isn't it supposed to go under?"

"I don't have the money to build a proper bridge," I explained. "Not many people do. If you build a small one, then each year during the spring rains it'll get washed away and you'll have to replace it. That gets expensive. Make this stretch of road of concrete when the creek's dried up in the summer and then when it rains the water goes over and you drive through it. Of course, this means in the rainy time when the water gets up real high you can't go through but at least when the level goes back to normal you'll still have something to drive across!"

"You're stranded until then?"

"Only for a week or so." I shrugged. "No big thing."

"You sure get a lot of water here."

"In the spring. See that there?" I pointed out where a log was fastened down at the bottom of a stretch of fence. "That's another way to beat the water. When that pasture gets flooded, that log will float up and the flotsam with go under. When the level drops, so will the log and you'll still have your fence. Fasten it down like in other places and you'll liable to have a stretch of fence you'll have to replace after it gets ripped off in the flood."

"Gotta go with the flow, huh?"

"That's it."

We reached the county road and turned off onto the smoother blacktop. Ok, town, get ready for your 'alien invasion'.

Such as it is.

**Chapter Seven**

All right, I know full well you all wanting me to give the name of my town here, right? Where it all happened? Well, forget about it. I ain't doing it. Y'all just keep wondering. I still have to live in this area and to have a bunch of folks coming in and telling everybody that I brought in an alien into the stores will do nothing but cause me trouble. Sure it might be amusing to the townsfolk to have you come in with such a wild story but I'd just rather not deal with it myself.

Like I mentioned in the first chapter, I have better things to do with my time.

So when we reached the outskirts of the town Jojo almost seemed disappointed. "That's it?" he asked as he surveyed the wide main street and the shops from where we crested the top of a hill. "It seems rather…..small."

"Most town around here are like that. Blink as you drive through and you'll miss it. But as long as there are some stores about to sell to folks and folks about to buy from them, they manage to stick around. There are quite a few ghosts towns about though, including one at the bottom of a lake!"

"'Ghost towns'?"

"Towns that had been abandoned for a variety of reasons. Just some old buildings falling apart. The one in the lake was swallowed up when they built the dam. Just one of those things."

"I don't think I've seen or even heard a Who town abandoned," Jojo mused. "I thought a town was pretty permanent."

"It depends a lot on location and jobs. Too often it's lose the jobs, lose the town. Or if a town depended on something like the railroad and when it goes, so does the people. Towns come, towns go." I explained. Hmmm, that did make us humans sound a bit fickle but it was true. How many towns sprang up in the west until they faded back into the dirt without anybody even knowing the names? Rather sad.

But for the moment this town was staying around. I slowed down as we turned onto the main street for the ritual of honking and waving at the people I knew. Which was around ninety percent of them. One advantage of small towns! They, of course, held up a hand in greeting, then took another look when they noticed someone was in the truck with me and it wasn't one of the dogs!

"I think we forgot to come up with a cover story for you," I told Jojo. "How about you're my nephew or something?"

"Hmm, do I resemble the better part of the family?" he asked then laughed and held up his arms in defense as I made a motion as if to swat him. "Ok! Ok! I'm your nephew! Um…from where?"

I thought for a moment. In story-telling it was always best to stick as close to the truth as possible because it was easier to keep the 'facts' straight. "I have so much family in Missouri I don't think they'd mind if I added one more. You're my cousin's kid from Missouri, come down to help me out because she just gave up trying to keep you out of trouble!"

"What, I'm supposed to be a punk kid or something?" He stuck his tongue out at me. "Aunty Breck!"

"It was either this or reform school." I teased. "No, let's just say she couldn't afford to send you to camp and I offered to take you in for a few weeks."

"Sounds better. I hate camp." Jojo looked at the buildings curiously as I pulled into the parking lot next to the store I usually bought clothing from. "Not very tall, are they?"

"Same as with the bridges. You build what you can afford." We got out and he winced a bit as his feet crunched the gravel underneath. "See what I mean about boots?"

He quickly went over to the grassy side. 'Yeah. At least I don't see any cactus."

There weren't any other people in the store, which wasn't all that surprising. Sometimes I wonder how the shops around here manage to stay in business since it was rare one saw more than four customers at one time unless it was during a holiday buying season. Still, it worked well for us. I really didn't want a slew of folk staring at Jojo and wondering just what sort of critter he was under that shirt.

"Hey Breck!" Sarah, the cashier, waved at me from across the room. "Got us some new sweaters in!"

"How about the fleece lined jackets? Any yet? Mine's on its last legs and losing its down." I made my way over to the clothing department with Jojo in tow. He was sticking close from nervousness, I guess.

Sarah made a face. "Not yet. I think they got my order fouled up again. I swear, some day there'll be nobody on this earth that won't be able to read any form not faxed or printed by a computer and I'll be going out of business. Well, hello there! And who's this?"

Well, it was now or never. "This is Jojo, my cousin's kid from Missouri. She was trying to cut corners from her budget and shipped him down here to me rather than pay for a couple weeks of summer camp this year."

"Oh I can relate to that! My kids cost me a bundle just going down to that Six Flags park!" She bent her head over and smiled. "Glad to meet you, Jojo. How d'you like it so far?"

Jojo shrugged the shrug of a teenager indifferent to everything else. "It's ok, I guess. But I have to get up too early."

"Ah, working him, I see. Well, why not? It's good for you."

He shrugged again.

I shook my head. "Teens, what are ya gonna do? Anyway,I brought him in because he needs a hat and some boots. Would you believe my cousin sent him here with no boots whatsoever?"

"No boots? Working a ranch would be hard without those. We got some in last week, along with some T-Bar hats."

I brightened. One of my favorite hat brands. "Ok, we'll take a look. C'mon Jojo."

"Let me know if you need any help!" Sarah called after us. "I like your hair, Jojo!"

In the rows of footwear I scouted about until I found that foot measurement. "Ok, let's see what size we need to look for. Here's just stand on this for a moment."

"Wow." Jojo looked the aisles up and down, at all the different styles, colors and shapes. "How do you make up your mind?"

"We do like variety. Hmm, child's size 6. That shouldn't be too hard. Size 6, size 6." I walked down the row and saw several boxes marked the desired size. "Here we go. Have a seat."

Not only was the small Who not used to wearing any footwear, he had no clue on how to put them on even if his hands weren't bandaged. I shoved him the proper technique then he stood up and studied the results.

"They do feel funny. And my feet are heavy!" But when he took a few steps and noted how the heels gave him a inch or so in height they began to grow on him. He strode down the aisle and smiled at the sound of the heels on the wood floor. "Heh, I sound almost like you in the morning now!"

"Do you prefer those or another style or color?" I pointed out his choices. His eyes took on a glow of a child at Christmas.

"Whoa.." he breathed. "Hmm, which ones? Which ones?"

He had to try on each pair and after a bit settled on ones that were black with silver stitching on the sides. "Do I have to take them off now or can I keep wearing them?"

"Keep 'em on, I'll just take the box up. Ok, now for the hats."

I have to admit a weakness here, I love hats. Not just cowboy hats but straw hats and such. I have over a dozen in my closet and I do wear the darn things so no remarks. I needed a new one like I needed a hole in the head, but if there was a new one that caught my eye, well, Jojo wouldn't be the only one with a new head bonnet!

Hat size isn't as easy to measure as boot size but trying them on was more fun. Jojo tried on hat after hat after seeing how one style completely changed his looks. I guess he would get hooked on the hat collecting too before too long.

Stetson, Montana, bull-riding style, he tried them all on and finally decided on a flat crowned black felt hat with a leather and silver bead band. Have to admit, he did look sharp!

"How's this?" he posed.

"Ah, going for the gambler's look, hm?"

He looked confused. "I don't gamble."

"It's just what we call that style. You look good in it! Real good." I was trying on hats too, and was tempted by a nice tan one with a feather band. But no, Jojo's boots and that hat were going to add up to plenty so I reluctantly returned it to the shelf. "Well, let's go see what the damage is."

"Ah….Breck?" His soft voice had returned and I turned to see him holding the hat in his hands. "I…..can't pay for this. I haven't any money."

"I do, no problem."

He still didn't move. "But…it doesn't seem right. I mean, you say you don't have much, and now you're paying for this. I can't do this."

Well now, how to answer that. "But you did pay me, Jojo. Remember you helping me? That's good enough. I'd say you've earned these yourself."

He still seemed unwilling. "You sure about this? I don't want you to end up not buying something because of me."

"Hey, the minute I have to leave the ranch to stand along the road selling pencils then I'll worry about it." I smiled. "And if I had to hire someone to do what you did I'd probably have to pay them about the same amount. Hmm, perhaps we'd better look into some jeans as well."

That took a lot more doing than the boots and hats. Darn the short legs of Whos! But we did finally find something he was able to wear without rolling up several inches of leg bottoms. The belt he was already wearing helped out too. Stepping back, one could almost see just a very short human rather than an alien now.

"Ok, that should do it. Come on. After this we need to get some groceries then maybe we can get something to eat at the café."

Why does the mention of food almost always cheer a kid up? You'd think they were an offshoot of Scooby Doo or something. I put the choices up on the counter except for the boots as Jojo was still wearing them. Sarah came up after dumping the armload of sweaters she was trying to fit on the shelves.

"I see you have pretty good taste there in hats and boots," she smiled at Jojo. "You look sharp in those!"

He gave a bashful smile then looked down. I paid the bill, then turned to leave when Sarah caught me by the shoulder. She looked at Jojo who was already heading for the door and said in a low voice "Cute kid but he's awful short. And he seems to be a bit….fuzzy. Is he ok?"

The only thing I could think of to say was "Remember that kid down in Mexico? The one in the circus with all that hair growing on his face?"

"Oh, he has that too? Oh poor thing."

I shrugged. "Well, he does get a bit of teasing from the other kids about it but he's dealing with it pretty good. Actually he shaved it off before he got here but it's growing back. And the tough break is he's also a midget. Still he's a pretty good kid for all he's going through."

"Well, have to give him a lil something special, don't we?" Sarah looked around then took a large red bandana off the display. "Here. Tell him red seems to be his color."

"Sure will, and thanks!" I took the proffered gift and joined Jojo at the door. "Here. Sarah gave you this. She thinks you look good in red."

He wasn't sure what it was for but he gave Sarah a wave in thanks.


	7. Chapter 8

**The Odd Visitor Chapter Eight**

The next stop was one of the few grocery stores in town where I stocked up on a few of the things I couldn't make for myself, such as sugar, coffee and bacon. Well, perhaps I could come up with bacon but I've never really been too keen on pigs. Walking up and down the aisles wasn't very entertaining for Jojo, (what grocery store is all that interesting after all?) but once we started going past the corner where various pieces of tack was displayed he stopped. One piece seemed to have caught his eye and I could see him imagining how it would look on Taw. It was a handsome headstall, to be sure, loaded with chrome trim and even a bit of tassel on each cheekband where it buckled onto the noseband. Great parade stuff but not very practical for regular use. But why mention that?

"Pretty piece, isn't it?" I said to him.

"Sure is. I didn't know they could be so fancy. So they're not just plain leather."

"Well, no but there are times when you do want to dress up your horse a bit. You should come around on Frontier Days, you'll see so many dressed up horses, mules and even donkeys you'd swear the planet's inhabited by cross-dressing equines!"

Jojo grinned even though I suspected he didn't get most of the joke. "Taw would look good in that but I can't see it lasting very long out on the trails." he admitted. "Kind of silly, all that shiny metal and he wouldn't see how nice he'd look."

"Horses don't bother with mirrors much." I agreed. "But it's fun once in a while. Care for some Chocolate Soldier?"

"Chocolate what?"

"It's a chocolate drink I used to like when I was a kid. I was crazy about the stuff back then but now it doesn't seem to hold the same flavor. Dunno if they changed the recipe or I grew up to have more sophisticated taste. But it's ok once in a while."

"Sure. I'll try it. Are you about finished shopping?"

Typical. Take a kid in a store and in five minutes they're bored. "Yep, I think we've got enough for now. Let's get to the checkout."

Like Sarah the girl at the register thought Jojo was cute and tried to get him to say more than 'Hi'. He didn't seem to know just how to react to a giggling female (or maybe with 96 sisters he knew too well and just wanted to avoid them?) and after a few moments of being pleasant he edged towards the door. I paid for the stuff and handed a loaded bag to the Who to carry. At the last minute I thought it would be a bit much for him and was about to exchange it for the other when he simply took it and started out the door. Whos, for all their skinny arms, are stronger than they look!

There were around a half dozen of cafes in town and I decided on the Circle K since at this time of day it wouldn't be all that crowded. The noon crowd would have left by then. Hopefully. Occasionally someone would meet up with someone else and get to talking and forget there's other things that need to be done that day but even so they wouldn't pay too much attention to a small alien in their midst. At least that was what I was counting on.

We sat in one of the booths at the back and I could see Jojo was intrigued by all the large framed photos of various local cowboys (and cowgirls!) doing various cowfolk stuff such as roping, bronc riding and barrel racing. I hoped he wasn't getting any ideas about trying any of that stuff with Taw!

"Hey Breck! How's things goin' so far?" The waitress, Barbara, was a familiar part of the café. She had worked there ever since they laid the first cornerstone of the building many years before, it seemed. She looked over at Jojo and gave him a warm, matronly smile. "Well hello, sweetie! Don't recollect ever seein' you afore!"

Jojo ducked his head and flushed a bit at being called 'sweetie' and mumbled a low 'hello'. I saved him from further embarrassement by introducing.

"Barb, this is Jojo, my nephew. He's from Missouri and staying with me for the summer."

"Well, welcome, sugah! I hope you'll have fun down heah! Now what can I get y'all to drink?"

I ordered some iced tea and Jojo asked for the same, probably because he wasn't sure what else to ask for. Oh well, sodas had too much sugar anyway and they could be bad for him. When Barbara left I looked over and saw him puzzling over the menu. "See anything you like?"

"I'm not sure what any of this is," he replied. "They look good in the pictures though. Can you give me some hints?"

"You could get a plain hamburger and fries, or try the stew. The chicken's pretty good here. I'd steer clear of those listed in the corner though. They're the hot stuff."

"Hot? The other foods are cold?"

"No, hot as in very spicy. Hot that seems like it's taking the skin off your tongue and throat."

His eyes grew big. "And..people like that?"

I laughed. "It doesn't really, just seems like it sometimes. I prefer the chili, a nice hot bite to grab you by the throat but not enough to choke. Makes ya sweat. It's good for you."

Describing the stuff made me want some, so I set my menu aside. After telling him a bit about each dish he chose the hamburger and fries. Barbara came over with the drinks by then.

"Ok, so are we all set then?" she asked as she brought out her pad and pencil.

"I'll have a big bowl of your tongue-skinnin' chili." I told her. "Along with some of the cole slaw to keep it company. Oh, and tell Skip it was a bit mild last time, kick it up a notch or two!"

Barb laughed. "I wouldn't do that, he might take it personal and cook the whole bottle of Tobasco with it to make a point! "

"That wouldn't hurt it none, might even make it edible." I pointed out.

"You can say that, but I don't want to have to go out and replace the pans after the stuff's eaten holes in 'em. " Barb noted my selection down and turned to Jojo. "And how 'bout you, hon. What'll you have?"

He glanced down again, embarrassed. I guess he wasn't used to the 'sweeties', 'sugahs' and 'hons' so easily dropped around here. "Um…a hamburger? And fries please."

"Why, sure thing. You want any cheese on it? "

"Uh…yeah. Sure."

"Ok, it'll be just a few minutes." Barb smiled at him and went off to the other booth that had just become occupied.

I looked around the bottles on the table, shoved the ketchup aside and singled out the bottle of Texas Pete hot sauce. "Ah, here we go. Just in case Skip decides to leave off the soul of my chili again."

"Hot sauce.." Jojo took the bottle and rolled it slowly as he read the label. "Cayenne peppers."

"Yeah boy!" I exclaimed as I poured sugar into my tea and stirred it with my knife. Yeah, bad manners, I know but I got the habit from my dad. He always stirred his tea that way. Blame him. "Heart and soul of good chili! Ah, I wouldn't do that…."

Jojo had screwed off the top and had taken a small whiff of the contents. He winced and held the bottle out. "Gahh! That hurts the nose!"

"Does wonders for the sinuses though." I reclaimed the bottle of chili essence. "Clears 'em right out!"

"You eat that then?" The small Who eyed the bottle as if it were the deadliest poison in the known universe.

"Not straight, it's just a flavoring. Don't tell me you Whos (there's that yodel again) don't have pepper in your world? No spicy food stuff?"

"Mom sometimes uses pepper in cooking, along with salt but I don't think she has anything stronger in the kitchen. The only spicy meal I think she's ever fixed was a stew she made with leftover roast beast. I think she used a bit too much pepper in it. Dad liked it but most my sisters didn't. So Mom had to make some potato soup for them."

"Did you like it?"

Jojo screwed up his face a bit. "It made me sneeze." I could only chuckle at that.

"Here we are!" Barbara came back with our orders. She set down the hamburger platter in front of Jojo and a lovely big bowl of chili down for me. It smelled heavenly! "Skip said to tell you he's not going to be responsible for any hospital visits because of this chili now! "

"I'll take the blame,: I reassured her. "So he made me a special then?"

"Oh he did that all right! Now the whole kitchen smells like jalapenos! I guess I won't have to call Mike to get rid of the mice now, they've all been suffocated in the walls!"

"Chili does double duty, see that?"

"That it does! That it does! Y'all enjoy now!"

She turned away and I eagerly stirred my meal in the bowl. Skip had this way of creating the most delectable chili using not ground stuff but chunks of meat, peppers, onions, tomatoes and who knows what else he could get his hands on to put in the pot. Perhaps it's best not to know but man! He sure made some great honkin' chili!

"So that's chili," Jojo said. He was looking at it curiously so I scooped out a small bit and held it out.

"Care to try it? Just a tad?"

He hesitated for a moment but he was curious after what I had been bragging about, so he took the spoon and ate the offering.

Almost immediately he grabbed his iced tea and swallowed a good portion of it. When he could speak again he gasped 'Gah! How can you eat that!? It's burning my mouth up!"

I had retrieved the spoon and sampled the food. Rolling my eyes up at the ceiling, I made like a wine connoisseur as I pretended to rate it. I swallowed, then shook my head and reached for the Texas Pete. "Dang, he cut it again. Skip, when will ya ever learn it's Breck you're feedin' here?" As I sprinkled the hot sauce in, Jojo stared at me as if I had suddenly sprouted another head. I stirred the chili, took another bite, then nodded. "Ah! That's the stuff!"

I looked up to see Jojo still staring at me and offered him the spoon again. "Want to try it now?"

He shrunk back and picked up his hamburger instead. "You humans are crazy! That hurts!"

"Ah yes, but it's a -good- hurt!" I pointed out. "Makes ya tingle right down to the bottom of your stomach."

"I could live without that tingle," he snorted. "But I don't think I could live without my stomach lining!"

"Tsk." I shook my head in mock sympathy. "What a shame, living on dull drab foods."

"They may be dull but at least they're safe to eat!"

I let that slip as I concentrated on enjoying my chili and cole slaw. Jojo did enjoy his lunch as it didn't take long for it to disappear either.

"Well, I see everything seems to have been ok here. Care for any dessert?" Barbara offered when she came up. I shook my head.

"After that chili it's going to take some work out in the field to work all those calories off," I complained. "It gets harder all the time."

Barbara made a sympathetic noise as she gathered up the plates. "Too bad, I just took out some nice blackberry cobbler out of the over. Might be even better with some ice cream."

"You play dirty pool!" I groaned. "Ok ok, I'll force some down. Hopefully I won't choke on it. How's about you, Jojo?"

He nodded. I figured he would. Whos seem to be bottomless pits. The cobbler was every bit as good as Barbara described and we both left the café feeling well stuffed. Well, I did anyway and from the way Jojo's eyes were drooping on the way home he was too. Funny how a full stomach makes you long for a long snooze under a tree somewhere.

Of course, it's a bit hard to snooze in a truck when the road is a rough dirt plain. The first bounce woke him quickly.

"Just when I was relaxing." he complained. "I almost hit the front here!"

"That's why we have seatbelts, so you don't get the dashboard in your teeth." I answered. He was too small to use the safety device so I had been extra careful in the drive to town. "Sort of like riding Taw, keep on your toes!"

The mention of riding perked him right up. "Is there any chance we could go out today?"

"Hmmm, oh heck, why not? This time I'll get Crow instead of Stonewall and you could try a faster pace this time."

It was by that time in the middle of the afternoon but a ride sounded like a pretty good idea. After I had checked and re-bandaged his hands (thankfully they seemed to be doing well.) and Jojo had chucked the annoying shirt, keeping the hat and boots however, we went out to the pasture to see if the equines were up for an afternoon event. Turns out both of them were agreeable to the pastime. Jojo was up on Taw and riding in circles in the pasture before I could get Crow saddled. He even had the buckskin going in a canter! It seems he was a natural in riding, or perhaps he just had very good balance. It was too good a scene to pass up so I tied Crow to the post (much to his disgust) and quickly went inside for my camera. It was an old Polaroid so I didn't have to worry about any developer wondering what this strange little being was doing riding my horse. Getting back to the field I waved to Jojo and pointed to the camera. He grinned, then had Taw canter straight up for a shot.

I used up the entire pack in less than a half hour. The shots came out great, Jojo and Taw in a run, a still picture of Jojo just sitting on the gelding, head shots of the small Who sitting on the gate rubbing Taw's forehead, even one of him hugging the horse's head. My favorite one was of Taw playfully grabbing Jojo's new black hat and him reaching out to recover it while Jojo thought the headshot one was the best. I placed all the photos carefully on the kitchen table before going back to get Crow out of his bad mood. He hated to be ignored.

I was going to instruct the alien in just how to ride a horse but it turned out he really didn't need much improvement. True, his legs were too short to use as guiding aids but since Taw was very sensitive to neck-reining it didn't matter much. And Jojo had a gentle touch on the bit as well. I've seen too many people just haul off and saw at the reins to the point of hurting the horse's mouth but there was nothing of that sort here. Taw responded to his wishes as if he could read his mind. Well, maybe he could. That Who –is- an alien, after all!

Of course I wouldn't be able to expect that when I got back to riding Taw. He'd be back to his old tricks in no time! Ungrateful beast!

Instead of going past the river again we chose the other end of the pastures. This trail led around to the more rocky areas and beginning of the winding way up the mountain. Well, ok. Hill actually. But it's a pretty big hill! It was a lovely ride, wild flowers all blooming the last bit before fall returned and we even saw a few deer at the edge of a meadow. Jojo asked if we could try going just a bit faster which meant after a few minutes of a canter he whooped and sent Taw into a headlong gallop! Of course Crow had to go along too.

We finally pulled up at the end of the meadow, allowing the horses to catch their breath and Jojo was grinning ear to ear. "That was fun!" he shouted.

I hadn't had that much fun myself in years so I had to let out a big loud yell, redneck-style "YYYEEEEEOOOOOOWWW!"

Jojo added one of his own and we stayed there yelling and whooping like a couple of drunken rednecks for a minute or two until Jojo realized he had lost his hat in the rush and we had to backtrack to find it. There was no way he was going to go back to the house without that hat.

And so this sort of thing went on for about two weeks. He learned about shoeing the horses and cleaning the tack, how important it was to keep track of whose steer was whose by branding, (I opted for the cheap way, plain paint!) and even to keep the chickens at bay while gathering the eggs. He also realized just what the animals were for when I decided to cull the hen house for a likely candidate for chicken and dumplings. They're not pets, after all, I told him as I quickly dispatched the unfortunate hen as quickly as possible and gutted it. He looked a bit ill at it all but willingly helped out by plucking and I noted he didn't allow all that to disturb his appetite one whit. His hands healed up nicely too, the bandages being removed at only a week. The evenings were spent on the porch swing, just jawing about general this-and-that

Still, as the days went on, I noticed he started to get a bit withdrawn. Not that I blamed him. After all, this wasn't his home and he needed to be back with his family. I was just a friend, no substitute for his mom or dad and Taw certainly couldn't take the place of his many siblings. Pretending this was a vacation was one thing, but now it was beginning to dawn on him that this might turn out to be something a bit longer and more serious. He needed to get back. I would miss him but I knew he had to. He wasn't my nephew going back to Missouri, after all.

But how? I'm no rocket scientist!

It finally came to a head one night a little after midnight. I was awakened by his mumblings, low at first but then reaching a barrage of desperate cries of "Mom! Dad! MOM! DAD!"

I sprang out of bed, grabbed my housecoat and rushed into the living room. I switched on the lights to find Jojo sitting up, clutching his blanket with a wild-eyed look. When he saw me he realized he had only been dreaming and he took a deep breath.

"What's the matter?" I asked him as I knelt down besides the chair. "Bad dream?"

"I….it was…" he was still breathing heavily as he tried to get his thoughts in order, then suddenly he twisted about and threw his arms around my neck, burying his face in my shoulder. He was trembling as hard as he had in that first night in the chicken house and I held him close, trying to soothe him. An alien yes, but still a child.

"I..I was riding in…the pasture….on Taw." he said brokenly. "Then I saw Mom. And Dad. They were both at the end of the pasture, waving to me. I turned Taw towards them and he started running, running but real slow. Mom and Dad then turned away and were leaving through this big swirling hole. I could see Whoville in the distance in the middle of that hole. Mom and Dad went inside but I….I couldn't get there in time! The hole was getting smaller and they…they just kept….kept on…walking….like…they didn't care that…I…couldn't get there…in time. They didn't even….look…back…."

He broke down in sobs then. I got up off the floor and sat on the couch with him, rocking him gently and rubbing his shoulders. "It was just a dream. It's over now. Just a dream. It wasn't real. Just a bad dream."

He didn't reply, but the crying slowly subsided into silence. A few hiccups later I could tell from his breathing he had fallen asleep again. Ok, now what? I didn't want to wake him so I sat there on the couch, for the rest of the night with a small miserable alien and a soggy shoulder.

I didn't know what to do. I knew he had to get back but all we could do was wait on the people on the other side of his world to figure out a way to help. What was taking them so long? Even though I knew it was ridiculous and totally unfair I began to get a bit mad at Jojo's dad. Where was he and why wasn't he trying to find his son?

'He's your kid!' I fumed mentally. "Why aren't you coming to get him, Mayor Jojo's Dad!? He needs you!'

But what if he couldn't? Was Jojo doomed to spend his entire life on these few acres in Oklahoma? That would be like a prison sentence! A pleasant prison but still a prison. And what if he were found out? He'd be taken away, locked up with hundreds of scientists all gawking at him and studying him like he was a new breed of bacteria or something.

No, I would not let that happen to Jojo, not if I could help it. But what then could I do? I felt so helpless.

"Oh Jojo," I whispered into his hair. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

The next morning he didn't talk much, or even ate much. This unplanned exile was beginning to get to him, I could see. My problem was, I had no encouragement to offer, no hope. And any cheerfulness I tried would have come off as false and forced. I knew he was far too smart not to see through such. Best to be honest and take hold of the situation by the horns.

I took a deep breath. "Jojo, I know you want and need to find your way back home, but frankly I can't see how. There's no way I could duplicate what you did in your observatory and don't have the equipment to do it even if I did. We can hope they find a solution on their end but until then, all we can do is let that pony ride."

His frown took on a slight puzzled look until I explained the saying then he returned to his former state with a low grunt.

This was worse than his brooding about his dad lecturing him on being mayor.

"I know this doesn't sound like much but..you know you're totally welcome to stay here as…as long as…well…as you need to." My voice trailed off as I couldn't think of anything further to add.

"You mean for the rest of my life.." he said in his low voice. It was thick with misery. "I like it here, Breck….and you've been great…don't get me wrong…but it…it isn't…home." His eyes filled up and he looked away. My own eyes were tearing as well. "I want to go home." He went silent for a moment then he added almost in a whisper "I miss them so much."

I looked down in my coffee cup and turned it slowly. "I know, hon. I know."

The awkward silence grew until I could barely stand it. And apparently neither could he as we both suddenly stood up at the same time and started talking.

"Well I'd best be.."

"Breck, could I..?"

"Hmm, could you what, Jojo?" I asked. He looked at the floor and stuck his hands in his pockets. (Yes, he did have pockets! I don't know how but he did!)

"Would you mind if…I took Taw and just..rode around for a bit. Alone?"

That could be a recipe for disaster but it could also be the best medicine for the moment. It was a temporary fix, I knew, but it was certainly better than him brooding hopelessly about. Who knows? Perhaps he could think of something.

I smiled at him. "Sure, go ahead. Be careful now, mind."

"I will, of course." He went out with his hat but stuck his head back in a second later. "Breck?"

"Hm?"

"Uh..thanks. Y'know. Thanks."

No need to reply, I knew what he meant and smilingly waved him off.

It was late afternoon when I heard them returning. Jojo looked to be in a slightly better mood but not by much. Looks like he didn't find any solution to his problem after all. He gave me a wave and a slight smile as he got down onto the gate to lead Taw back into the pasture. I was walking up to them to ask if he had thought of anything (I knew from his expression he didn't but thought it polite to inquire anyway) when….

Taw threw up his head and blew loudly through his widened nostrils. He only did that when he was very alarmed so I quickly looked about to see just what the heck was coming our way. A coyote? Cougar? Bear?

No, there seemed to be some sort of spiral cloudy…..thing at the other side of the yard, something like a very dirty window. The dogs took one look at it and high-tailed it off with tails between their legs. Bossy just turned and ambled away, quickly though, for her.

"What th…." I murmured as I eyed the thing. It was just the sort of anomaly I'd expect with the Doctor but suppose…..

Jojo had also come up and was studying it, with slight hope growing in his eyes. Could it be that…

Whatever it was, it was strange and I wasn't going to approach it without knowing a bit more about it first. I bent down and felt around for a small chunk of rock, then carefully tossed it in the swirly center.

It went through and must have hit someone because we both heard a sharp exclamation from inside. Then the rock was returned with a thump. We both stared at it rather stupidly.

"This could be it, Mishter Mayor," I heard a woman's voice, muffled but it came from inside that whatever-it-was. "Try it again."

"Jojo?" came a call from the same place. It sounded resigned and tired as if it didn't hold much hope out for a reply.

Jojo's eyes went wide and he took a step forward. "Dad?"

"Jojo? JOJO!" the answer was more of a yell this time.

The center of the swirl cleared slightly and we could both see two beings looking out at us. One was thin with white and purple-pinkish fur and the other was brown and blue. The blue and brown being held out his arms joyfully. "Jojo! We found you! At last! Come on! Come back home!"

"Dad!" Jojo's face was also one of complete surprise and joy and he rushed forward. This was it then, I thought, smiling even though a lump was growing in my throat. This is goodbye, he's going home. Home, where he belongs.

Before the small Who reached the anomaly he stopped dead, and looked back. I made a small wave. "Go on, Jojo! They're waiting for you!"

Jojo turned back to his dad. "How long?" he asked. "Do I have a couple of minutes?"

"I'm not sure how long thish will lascht," the other Who answered. "Make it quick!"

Jojo ran back up to me and I knelt down so we could share a goodbye hug. "I won't forget you, Breck." He sniffled. "Thanks for everything!"

"I won't forget you either. Y'all take care." I took his hat off for a moment to ruffle the black mop under it. "Oh wait!"

I rushed into the house and shuffled madly around the kitchen table until I found the item I wanted, then back out again to see Jojo saying goodbye to Taw, hugging the large head. The buckskin seemed to know something was up as he nuzzled him gently. Jojo's muzzle once again held those dark tear tracks. "B..be good now, ." he gulped. "Don't b-be causing Breck any trouble!"

"Here, take this." I held out the photo I had dashed into the house for, the headshot one of him and Taw. He took it gratefully and dragged his forearm across his eyes.

"Jojo! Come one! We can't make it last much longer!" his father shouted through the swirl.

I ran back with him. "You got a great boy there!" I shouted. "Take care of him!"

"We know and we will! Thanks!"

Jojo hopped through the smoky circle and fell into his dad's arms. They hugged and the last I saw him was when he turned around to wave. I raised my hand but as soon as I started my own return, the swirl had winked out. And I was alone once more.

I stood there for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts when I looked down and saw that Jojo's hat didn't make the trip. I guess it just couldn't fit through. At least the photo did. I picked up the hat and went back inside, sad and happy at the same time. Emotions are so weird sometimes.

Well, that's my story. It's been about five months since Jojo returned to his world and I'm getting things back to normal here. Taw had stopped looking back over my shoulder as if searching for the Who and the dogs have stopped circling the house trying to trail wherever he could have gone. Yeah, I know, guys. I miss him too.

His hat and boots occupy the top shelf in my closet. I suppose I could take them back to the store for a refund but I just can't bring myself to do that. Who knows? Perhaps he'll return again. For another vacation.

I had that one photo enlarged and framed, the one with Taw stealing his hat. It sits on my bedside table now. I don't want to display it out in the living room where it might start too many questions I don't wish to answer. Just a nice reminder.

The porch swing outside is lonely to sit on in the evenings now, lonely and quiet. I didn't realize how much company he was. Perhaps I could find a way to visit him, in his world.

Now there's a thought! Let's see now…he said his world was small and he needed to get bigger to leave it, that's why he used a telescope.

That means I need to get smaller.

Hmmmm.

I do believe I have a microscope somewhere in the attic……..

~~~ end ~~~


End file.
